What If Bella Hated Edward
by livebyinsanity
Summary: Bella's arrived in Forks and while taking a liking to Alice and Emmett becomes instantly pissed off at Edward. Will she ever warm up to this mysterious bronze haired boy? ON HIATUS
1. The New Girl

**Chapter One: The New Girl**

**Bella**

I woke up at 6 AM when my alarm clock began to ring its dull, boring uneventful tune. I sighed and considered getting out of bed when a strong smell from the kitchen alerted my attention. _Charlie_, I thought. Groaning, I walked downstairs still wearing my pyjamas.

My suspicions were confirmed; Charlie was trying to cook be breakfast and had in the process burnt the eggs. I hurried over to help him.

"What happened?" Charlie was asking.

He looked incredibly confused and I hastened to explain.

"Charlie, if you keep the eggs on the stove for too long, they will burn."

I rolled my eyes as Charlie slapped his head over his own stupidity. I wondered how he could have survived on his own for so many years. I scanned the kitchen betchtop and eyed a couple of advertisements for The Lodge. Reality clicked in. Charlie had been dining a restaurants all this time.

"Anyway Bells" said Charlie, a little awkwardly. "I need to get to work, have a nice day at school. Remember to tell me all about it."

He left. I helped myself to toast and improvised a bacon sandwich. Upon completion, I headed back towards my room.

Today, would be my first day at Forks High School. Today, I would be the new girl. What should I wear? Not that my wardrobe was particularly impressive but I needed something suitable. Not my shorts and t-shirt! It was too cold for that kind of attire! I finally decided that a pair of jeans and a plain shirt would do just fine.

I was not bothered to fiddle with my hair. I hung it long as per usual. After slipping on my sneakers, I walked outside and saw the truck that Charlie had given me. As it was my only way of transport, I would just have to make do. It took me a whole five minuted just to get the engine started.

Grumbling about the slow speed and booming engine, I began to drive to Forks High School. Peering at a street directory, I hoped that I was heading the right way.

**Rosalie**

"Chief Swan's daughter is coming to school today!" announced Alice as she danced down the stairs. "Her name is Bella!"

Emmett and I barely looked up. I sighed with exasperation. Alice was always going crazy at the mention of any new student. Emmett chuckled and leaned over, so that we could kiss. We were passionate. I noticed that he was balanced over the table and I was surprised that it did not yield under his weight.

"Oh, cut it out" Edward grumbled.

Just to be irritating, I kissed with Emmett a little before we broke apart.

"Can we go now?" asked Alice impatiently. "Bella is going to be arriving soon!"

This time, everybody was showing signs of irritation. Alice merely glared darkly at everyone before urging everybody to hurry up once more. I walked out into the garage as Edward unlocked the Volvo.

"Can't we take my car today?" I complained. "It feels like ages!"

"Too conspicuous" Edward replied smugly. "You'll have to wait until we get out of town."

I wanted to shoot daggers at him; I yearned to wipe that satisfied smirk off his face. If looks could kill, Edward should have died over a million times already. I took my seat in the back. After the couple of seconds it took to get the garage door opened, we sped out doing around 95 in speed. After all, us vampires loved to drive fast.

In a matter of moments, we had arrived into the carpark of Forks High School. Emmett and I got out of the car, being careful to walk at a boring human pace. It wasn't as though anybody would be paying attention to us; it was really just a precaution. Hand in hand, we entered the main building. I knew that Jasper and Alice were walking, only a short distance behind us.

I was vaguely aware of the chatter of the students around me. The subject of conversation was the same everywhere. The new girl. Bella. Even if nobody had caught a glimpse of her, the rumours were flying. Everybody looked desperate to be her friend.

"They could all join Alice's new Bella Appreciation Club." I mumbled to Emmett, low enough that the couple behind us would not be able to hear.

Emmett laughed and gave me another kiss.

**Edward**

_Haven't seen her yet, but somebody, I think it was Eric is betting that she's a hottie._

_OMG! Do you think Bella will like me?_

_I really hope I have Bella for Calculus._

All the people around me appeared to be attuned to the same thoughts. Everybody was awaiting the arrival of Bella Swan and speaking about her in the same way that Alice was thinking. Being careful to walk slowly, an ancient red truck pulled into the carpark. The height of conversation increased dramatically.

This was a new vehicle. This must be the new girl. I decided to watch. After all, it was my job to assess whether new people in town could be of any danger to us. I observed as she parked two spots away from my Volvo.

Bella got out of the car and looked startled as many of the students began to surround her and ask avid questions. I wondered what she was thinking. I concentrated and tried to pick up on her thoughts. However, I could not hear a different voice. I stared at her for a little longer, still trying to pick up her reaction to the crowd. She caught my eye.

Deciding that I could try again later, I spun around and prepared to head to my first class.

**Bella**

Who was that weird boy? The one with copper or maybe gold coloured hair? Why was he staring at me like that?

I stared back at him.

It looked as though the boy may have noticed because he turned around and walked off into the school. _Nice Reception, _I thought. The people around me were asking really, random questions. There were jumbles about my favourite colours and offers of friendship.

"I'm sorry; I'm going to be late." I told everybody. "Hopefully, I'll get a chance to talk to you all later!"

I shoved through and the crowd parted. Honestly, I hoped that I wouldn't need to chat with these people. I was never a fan of big crowds. I liked the way things were when I went to school in Phoenix; people avoided me and I had very few friends.

Looks as though here in Forks, things have changed.


	2. Arrogance

**Hey! I would be so appreciative if I could have more reviews! I hope you enjoy this!**

**Disclaimer: All characters are property of Stephenie Meyer.**

**Chapter Two: Arrogance **

**Jessica**

I entered the room for my opening class, just as I heard a few hesitant footsteps behind me. I glanced over my shoulder and saw her. The new girl. What was her name again?

"Um..." she muttered. "Is this Calculus?"

I was just about to answer when another voice responded instead.

"Of course", a boy said as he walked around her in order to get in. "Hey, you must be Bella! I'm Mike by the way, Mike Newton."

I watched in envy as Bella greeted Mike with enthusiasm. I knew I had to act and fast before Mike noticed too many things about Bella. After all, she was rather pretty although her clothes could have been better.

"Bella", I began, hoping that I was speaking in a welcoming manner. "Would you like to sit next to me? It's an empty desk there."

"Sure." Bella said as she followed me to the table.

"I'm Jessica Stanley." I informed her as she took out her books.

We had time for some small talk conversation before class actually started. I found out about her favourite colour, music and cool parts of Phoenix life. In turn, I spoke about some of the more interesting aspects of Forks and went on about the teachers that were kind and those which should be avoided.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mike paying close attention to everything that she said. Waves of jealousy rolled over me again. My eyes flickered to where Bella was now idly scribbling on the corner of her notebook. Well, if talking to her was one of the best ways to grab Mike's attention, I was determined to keep going.

**Bella**

Jessica was being so nice. She looked as though she was extremely popular. I lost track of how many friends she had described. However, I did recognise the name of Mike Newton and remembered a few like Tyler and Angela.

Throughout Calculus, I frequently noticed Mike staring at me. He would turn away upon seeing me looking. I had to admit that he was sort of cute. Another boy, from across the room was also glancing at me frequently. Well, more frequently than everyone else, I should say. Majority of the people in this room kept trying to get a glimpse of me. It was as though I was a new toy or flashy object.

Yes, life here was definitely going to be different to life in Phoenix.

The day was passing relatively slowly. I went to my lessons (frequently needing help to find myself before the right room) and had the teacher sign my slip. There were many people who would try to be friends as I travelled through the corridors.

Eventually, it was time for lunch. I sat down with Jessica and her friends in the cafeteria. There were names and introductions thrown at me from all directions. There was a girl with glasses that I liked considerably more than the others. Her name was Angela Weber. Angela was shy; just like me.

Slowly, I became disinterested in their talk about various hot guys in the senior year. I began to just stare out the window, on the other side of the cafeteria.

Then, I noticed the group of five sitting closest to that window. They seemed to be strangers; people appeared to be pretending that they just didn't exist. I noticed the copper bronze haired boy from the car park this morning. He was looking at me with an intense expression of concentration. Great. It looks as though somebody else has focused their attention on staring at me. As if he could get any more arrogant!

I nudged Jessica.

"Who are they?"

**Edward**

I had heard Bella speak. Her voice was an extraordinary sound. It had both sharpness and warmth to it.

A quarter of a second after making that conclusion, I realised that I had not heard her sound in any of the thoughts swinging around my mind. I concentrated on what Bella and the girl next to her, Jessica was saying and thereby blocked out the conversation of all the other students.

I was momentarily disturbed by a thought from Jasper who had noticed my focusing. _Edward, why all the tension?_

"Jessica Stanley is about to tell the new girl all about us", I muttered, my lips moving so quickly that it would have been a blur to the average human eye.

"Alright." Jessica was explaining in a cheerful tone. "They are the Cullens. Doctor Carlisle Cullen and his wife adopted them. The two blondes, they're the Hales. Jasper is always looking as though he is in pain. The girl, Rosalie, is like so beautiful. But anyway. The really tall big one; his name is Emmett. Oh, and the pixie, Alice; she is seriously so weird. As for the drop dead gorgeous boy, he is Edward. Good at music, smart......"

Jessica Stanley's voice trailed off in awe. Alice's musical tinker could be heard. _Ha Edward._ I attempted to kick her from beneath the table but her gift enabled her to hobble out of the way. Alice picked up her tray and danced out of the cafeteria. I noticed Bella eyeing her elegant departure.

_So Edward, what does she think?_ The thought was Emmett's.

I didn't know how to respond. I did not want to tell my family that I was blind when it came to Bella's mind. _Edward? _Emmett again.

I was truthful when I told him, and everyone else, that I was uncertain at this point in time. The bell soon rang and I farewelled my family. I knew that I had Biology next. Walking discreetly, I arrived at the classroom and took my usual seat in the back row. In slow (human) motion, I took out my books and piled them onto my table.

The thoughts of the people in the same room as me were mostly thinking about Bella. Somebody had spread a rumour that she would be in this class.

That person turned out to be correct. A minute later, Bella walked into the room with Mike Newton and Angela Weber.

I knew that she would have to sit next to me. I hoped that this small distance would allow me to read her mind.


	3. Moments of Desperation

**Please, review! By the way, I know the events taking place sound like a copy of Twilight, but it is about to change very soon! This fanfic is based on some canon events; there will be ideas from New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn coming as well.**

**Disclaimer: All characters are owned by Stephenie Meyer ;)**

**Chapter 3: Moments of Desperation**

**Bella**

I saw him immediately. The golden boy. The one I now knew to be Edward Cullen.

"I'm sorry." Angela apologised. "The only seat is the one next to Edward."

I felt a little bit annoyed. I was about to spend one lesson stuck, sitting next to Edward Cullen. Right now, I loathed him. Did he have any respect for anybody at all? Why did he have to be so rude?

"It won't be too bad." Mike tried to reassure me. "I'll be sitting just in front. If Cullen tries to screw you up, he'll have me to deal with."

Mike looked so sure of himself and willing that it sounded wrong to ruin the moment. I merely smiled and hoped that was all it took to make Mike fell good about himself. My lame acting skills must have jumped up a level because Mike was smiling.

"Shall we go down?" Mike asked me, his face radiating with pure happiness.

I told him to wait for a minute while I had Mr Banner sign my slip. With Mike, I walked down the aisle of illuminated faces but turned alone into the desk I would now share....with Edward. The moment I sat down, Edward moved his chair as far as possible from me. He was glaring at me with an expression that was so livid; death was written all over it. His eyes were black as his stare displayed a lot of hatred.

I fumed. I glared back. I wanted Edward to know that I was not impressed by his foul behaviour. I fanned out my hair, before returning my eyes to Mr Banner.

In the next couple of minutes, Edward did not relax. He continued to glare and his hands grasped at the desk with sheer force. I frequently shot some glares of my own. My desk and lab partner; he was a really great guy wasn't he?

If he would be like this for the rest of my time at Forks, I would seriously explode from frustration.

**Edward**

I had to keep holding my breath. Why did she have to smell so sweet? It only made it worse that Bella was flicking her hair from time to time, sending air filled with her scent in my direction. I was grabbing the edge of the table so tightly that a small portion of it broke and fell into my hand. Silently, I cursed. I hid the shavings but there was nothing I could do about the hole that I had caused. The only solution then, would be the ignorance of other students using the room.

Bella glared at me. Again, she shook her head sharply; she whipped the wind with her hair. I was again hit by an onslaught of smells. The smell was (as much as I tried to deny it) delicious.

I was paying no attention to the teacher who was talking about a topic that I did not know. My head began to come up with ways to kill Bella. I craved for her blood. But, I knew that I would have to eliminate all witnesses. The secrecy of those of my kind was at the height of importance; I had to keep our identity a secret.

I could easily take out the left side of the room. I wondered how many necks I could break before a single scream was issued. Dealing with the right half of the room would be a challenge; by now, people would be aware that there was a monster in the room. All this would need to occur before I even got the chance to get Bella......

A voice in my head tried to get me to stop. It flashed images of my family; they would be so disappointed, Esme would be heartbroken.

"Carlisle." I muttered forcefully under my breath. "Esme. Don't disappoint them."

I concentrated hard. I focused about my family. If I killed Bella, what would this do to them? They would have to leave Forks. And Rosalie would rip me to shreds for that one.

The bell was too far away. I knew that I wouldn't be able to resist for much longer. Carlisle! Carlisle! The angelic, but panicky voice was screaming inside my head. I would cause him agony; I was fully aware of that. I would have to be practical. Bella was sitting right next to me. I could lunge and kill her before anybody (her included) had the time to react.

I had no choice. Her blood smelled so good.

**Alice**

"NO!" I yelled out suddenly.

The class had swivelled in their seats and were staring at me. People were questioning whether or not I had gone mad. I had no time for that; I had to stop Edward before he did something he would regret. I had to stop him before he also did something that would make me hate him.

"Mrs Goff!" I called, shooting my arm into the air. "May I please go to the bathroom?"

She looked at me and nodded, probably taking in my desperate facial expression. I was able to continue walking in a controlled, human pace until I had exited the classroom. Once in the safety, of the deserted corridor, I took off and ran. Somewhere, in the back of my head, I knew that I would be uninterrupted. This was a motivation; I increased my speed dramatically.

I knew that Edward had biology now. He was in Mr Banner's other class. I raced towards the science lab that I myself had biology lessons. I was glad that Forks High was such a small school.

I reached the classroom and was relieved to realise that Edward had not yet killed. I began to call out mentally.

**Edward**

_Edward! Edward! Stop right now! Edward!_

It was in my head but somebody was shouting out my name. Somebody was distracting me from the intense, sweet blood only a few feet from me. Somebody was giving me something else to do.

That person was Alice. She was still mentally screaming at me.

_Edward? If I find out that you have killed my friend after all, I will tear you apart myself! Don't doubt me! And Jasper will help, I know he will!_

Alice showed me an image of her and Jasper doing just that. _Edward! Focus! Think about Carlisle! And Esme! Do you really want to hurt them in this way? Edward! If I need to, I'll burst my way into this room! I'll find a way to cover it all up later. _It was only now that I realised that Alice was not far at all. Odd, she did not normally bother to shorten a distance in order to convey a message.

I glanced quickly at the window but Alice was crouching out of sight. It was good though, to be glancing at something other than Bella. Even thinking about her tugged at vampire instincts.

I looked back down at the page where I was supposed to be recording notes. I was not surprised to find it empty; after all, education had hardly been the centre of my attention. I gave Bella a quick look; she was giving me an expression of her own, one of disapproval and disgust.

_Come on Edward. It's not long until the bell. Focus. Edward, CONCENTRATE! _I was concentrating and hastily jotting down the information on the whiteboard. I did not need Alice to frequently remind me. The topic of study was not particularly interesting but Alice's creativity as she came up with new remarks to yell certainly was a better source of entertainment.

_Did you know that Rose will be all daggers if we must leave Forks? And all the heated feelings will be directed at you?_ I was aware of that; the situation would be very unpleasant. _Oh look! Esme has plans to decorate Carlisle's study! Take a look! _The plans certainly appeared to be amusing but I had to wonder whether Carlisle would approve of the new layer of paint. _Aw... It's going to be sunny soon. I guess we'll have to stay at home! _Amazing, wasn't it? Alice could be able to come up with the strangest things to think. Her aim to keep me distracted was working fluently.

The bell rang its gloomy sound and I took a little breath. _Leave quickly. _Alice had commanded me to leave the confines of the room before my focus could be lost again. I complied, packing my items and rushing out the door.

I was gone before Bella had even the chance to look up.

This was a moment when I was desperate to get away from her.


	4. Denali and Disapproval

**Please, I'd really like to know what everybody thinks! Oh yes, I do not own Twilight. (I wish!)**

**Chapter Four: Denali and Disapproval**

**Bella**

Edward had rushed out of the room without a single word. His face had more or less remained the same; his expression was cold. I do not recall a moment in my life where anyone has been possessed with as much hatred as Edward Cullen. I wondered if this was normal behaviour.

"Hey Bella!" Mike said, smiling as we packed our things. "What did you do, Bella? Stab Edward Cullen with a pencil? I've never seem him act like that before. If I was lucky enough to be sitting next to you, I would have at the very least talked."

I smiled at Mike and he appeared to beam with pleasure. His words had confirmed that Edward did not normally behave in this rude manner. This meant that all the negative emotion was directed at me. My disapproval of him was at its limits; he being unbelievably nasty.

I had Gym next period and was happy that Mike would be in my class. Even though I was horrible at any activity that involved physicality, I was happy with an opportunity to be away from Edward. It also turned out that Jessica was in my class.

"Bella!" she greeted me loudly and pulled me into a big hug.

It turned out that today's lesson would be about volleyball. I begged not to play but my requests were turned down. I spent most of the hour hanging around the baseline. I did catch a ball to my face. However, considering my collection of disastrous gym lessons, this one was not too bad.

I left the gym and began to look around for the main office. I needed to hand in my slip which indicated my presence in my classes. As I prepared to choose a random route and hopefully got lucky (for the first time in my life), a boy called out my name from behind.

He was slightly tall with lanky, black hair. He was smiling and in my head, I compared his grin with the grin of Mike's.

"Hey!" Eric said as he jogged up to me. "You must be Bella, I'm Eric Yorkie. Do you need any help getting anywhere?"

Eric looked to be a pleasant kind of guy. He was being helpful and rather welcoming unlike someone whom I knew. I nodded and told him my destination. We conversed about a few random topics until we parted outside the office.

"See you around Bella." Eric farewelled me and I responded in a similar manner.

I opened the cool, metal handle of the door. The boy whom I found incredibly rude was there, discussing something with Ms Cope, the office receptionist. I waited for my turn.

**Edward**

The door opened and somebody walked in. He or she was silent in his or her thoughts so, I found no reason to pay the slightest attention.

"There must be another class available." I tried to persuade Ms Cope. "Or even Physics, perhaps?"

_Oh, there must be a problem with Mr Banner. _Ms Cope was thinking, hard. I could tell even before she opened her mouth what her answer would be.

"Edward, that is not possible." Ms Cope replied; she was genuinely unhappy that she couldn't give me another answer. "Mr Banner hates it when there are more that 25 in a class. He is already displeased if there are a mere 20. I'm sorry Edward but this class cannot be changed."

I blinked a couple of times; it was a method of flirting that worked very well with most human females. Ms Cope was no exception. I heard as her heart drummed faster and amusing thoughts on desire I flooded her mind. I did my best to remain oblivious.

"Edward, I'll see what I can do", Ms Cope stuttered. "But, I can't offer any guarantees, Mr Banner is particularly difficult to earn favours from....."

She was ranting. I would, of course, know that she was attempting to conceal the fact that she could not please my wishes. The door opened and a girl waltzed in, followed by a gust of strong wind. The girl left rather quickly but I had already caught a scent of the person I was trying to avoid. Bella.

This was why I had been unable to hear her thoughts. This was who had come in while I was requesting a class change.

I had to get out of the confines of the office. Bella's scent was strong and I could feel it tinge at my senses. I needed to leave.

I turned to Ms Cope. Her expression was now slightly fearful; my face must have been betraying my human act.

"I can see that that will not be possible." I said, closing the conversation. "I apologise for any inconvenience."

I walked out without saying a word to Bella. She was glaring at me again with a distinct look, only identifiable as loathing.

I burst into the fresh, clean, uncontaminated air of the outdoors. I started towards my car where my family would be waiting.

**Jasper**

What was taking Edward so long? It was unlike him to make delays after school; it was even less normal for him to have left no indication of his lateness. I was considering whether or not to simply run home. The distance was not too far, I would only have to hope that no observant person would spot me jogging along at a supernatural speed.

However, I would not go while Alice was behaving strangely. With my additional power, I could sense that Alice was tense and anxious. Her eyes frequently darted towards the main buildings of the school. It was as though she was expecting something massive to happen.

"When will Edward get here?" Rosalie asked her impatiently.

"Soon." sang Alice in her high pitched voice. "He's just left the front office."

My wife was right. In around half a minute, Edward strolled into the carpark and unlocked the doors to the Volvo. Alice got in at the front; this meant that I had no options except to sit at the back with Emmett and Rosalie. We had just begun to talk randomly about our next hunting day when Alice's shrill exclamation distracted us.

"You're leaving?" she gasped.

"What!" Emmett and I burst out at the same time.

We all turned our heads at Edward. He nodded and offered no explanation. My curiosity became directed at Alice; she, no doubt; was aware of what was going on. With apparent exasperation, Alice narrated what she knew about the story. I processed the information; Edward had been attracted to the smell of the girl sitting next to him, Bella. Her blood had been strong enough that Edward had been very tempted to kill her and probably would have if Alice had not intervened. I thought about that.

Edward dropped us off in the driveway before turning away.

"Where is he going?" I asked Alice.

"To Denali", she answered readily. "Tanya's going to be thrilled."

Emmett chuckled as we all went inside. Carlisle was not home from the hospital but Esme was upstairs reading a novel. She came down the stairs and immediately noticed that Edward was missing.

"Where is Edward?" Esme asked after a small greeting.

Alice responded. "He's decided to go to Denali. I'm not sure for how long."

At that moment, something in my brain clicked. Edward saw himself as a threat to the new girl. This only meant that Bella would be a threat to my family.

**Alice**

Even as a told Esme everything that I could, I noticed Jasper as a sudden realisation flooded his expression. His eyes seemed to widen and his lips almost glued together. I looked towards him.

"Bella must be destroyed." Jasper declared suddenly as I stared at him incomprehensively. "She is a threat to this family. We cannot let our secret be revealed."

Trust Jasper to be a military man. I searched into his future and was horrified at the image; Jasper killing her, totally unaware, as she slept.

"No." I hissed sharply. "She is going to be my friend."

The usual exasperated sighs filled the room. I was rather angry.

"Alice", Jasper said gently. "She could force us to leave Forks. She could reveal our secret."

"No." I stated flatly (well, flatter than usual anyway). "She's going to be my friend. She hasn't done anything wrong. Edward was just a little thirsty at the time. It's not right to just kill her."

"Yes", Esme agreed. "It's far too cruel."

"I don't want to leave Forks!" Rosalie cried out. "It's actually kind of nice here!"

Emmett was undecided.

And then, we heard a set of tyres, it was Carlisle coming home.


	5. Old Friends

**Please, I would love some reviews! It's all about to become not so Twilighty!**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight.**

**Chapter Five: Old Friends**

**Carlisle**

As I parked the car in the garage and pulled out the key, I was aware of a heated discussion coming from inside the house. In a matter of moments, I had appeared in the dining room amongst my family. I immediately noticed that Edward was missing. How strange.

"Jasper", my wife was saying gently. "It's cold, cruel and heartless. She's done nothing wrong."

Jasper was quick to respond. "It's not just what she did. It's also about what she's going to do. What she is going to do to the entire family."

Heads quickly snapped in Alice's direction. Her eyes were perfectly in focus; evidently, Alice had already searched the future.

"Jasper", she began softly. "Edward won't be attacking her anytime soon."

At this, I was completely confused. I had to ask; what was going on? I was informed quickly with Alice providing most of the information. Things began to clear. I knew why Edward was not present. I knew what my family were arguing about it. I also knew my answer.

"We can always leave if Bella becomes a problem." I announced. "There is absolutely no reason to attack her."

Alice clapped her hands (a little childishly) and danced gracefully from the room. A broad smile was plastered on her face alongside a smug expression. Then again, Alice already knew. Fairly quickly, the others also left; Esme and I were now alone in the room.

Esme was as beautiful as always. Something was sparkling in her lovely, golden eyes; I wondered if she was trying to decorate the kitchen again or repaint the bathroom. I sat down beside her on the couch and wrapped my arm around her waist. I kissed her lightly on her forehead.

"Well?" I asked and Esme knew exactly what I meant.

"I think it's time to decorate your study."

Internally, I groaned.

**Bella**

I was still grumbling about the oh-so-nice Edward when the phone rang. It was probably some work colleague of Charlie's. Unfortunately for them, he was still at the station. I picked up the nearest phone and answered.

"Swan residence." I said into the mouthpiece. "Bella speaking."

"Bella!" a voice yelled; I was certain that it was Jessica. "I never got to see you this afternoon or I would have asked a lot sooner. Mike and Tyler are going down to La Push next Saturday and the invited like everyone to come along. Everybody hopes that you'll be there. So, will you please please please please come? The weather won't be too bad. So, Bella? Are you coming or not?"

I hesitated for approximately three seconds before making up my mind. For the first time in my life I had friends; it would be stupidly idiotic to just throw them away.

"Sure, I'll come." I accepted. "I think Charlie should be alright if I go."

"That's brilliant!" Jessica exclaimed without missing a breath. "I must tell Mike and all the others! I'm just so glad that you could come Bella! The day's going to be perfect!"

Jessica was ranting. She kept repeating herself full of thank yous, yays, fantastics and a whole lot of other compliments. It was amusing to listen to but after a while I was getting bored. As I was in no mood to hurt Jessica's feelings, I had to come up with a convincing excuse and fast.

"Jess, I've got to go." I told her. "I'll see you at school tomorrow."

"Okay bye" Jessica farewelled me. "See you!"

With that, I put the phone down. I smile was playing at the edges of my face. It felt good to be accepted and welcomed. It felt brilliant that there were actually people in the world who were nice to me. Naturally, Edward Cullen was not part of the nice people; I could not judge about his adopted family though. There was something about the blonde female, Rosalie, which utterly freaked me out.

I sighed as I crawled into my bed. Going to La Push next Saturday sounded like a lot of fun. It was possible that I would see Jacob again. We had played together when we were young; it would be really nice to chat once more, like old friends. I giggled.

I soon fell asleep dreaming about the perfect old days, with Jacob.

**Edward**

"I'm bored", Kate complained. "Can't we pass some time by going out to hunt?"

"Why not?" said Tanya. "Irina, Edward, are you coming?"

Irina, Kate and Tanya were the three vampire sisters that I had moved in with (temporarily) for the duration of my stay in Denali. There were two others in the coven; their names were Carmen and Eleazer. Carmen and Eleazer were already a couple. The Denalis were 'vegetarians' just like me.

Irina and I decided to hunt as well. We bounded with ease into the Alaskan wildlife. I went north with Tanya while the other sisters took a trail southwards.

_I was hoping that you had changed your mind. _Tanya was thinking, whilst adoring the moon in the night sky. I knew what she meant. Many decades ago when I (and the rest of my family) had been staying with the Denalis, Tanya had gotten an irritating little crush on me. Most of it faded in passing time; however, a feeble spark like a flickering candle of hope remained.

_So Edward, why exactly did you come here? _Of course, it was Tanya's thought again. I only just realised that I had not explained my sudden appearance here. We had all been talking about the minor details of our lives that we had skimmed pass the essentials. I hastened to explain.

I read Tanya's reactions and thoughts as I told her what had occurred earlier today. There had been a new girl at school called Bella. I had been unable to read her thoughts. I had to sit next to her in Biology in fifth period. Her scent had been so strong that I had to fight myself and the desire to kill her. I had tried to change classes so that my timetable would not clash with Bella's. The scheme had not worked out. I had to flee the building quickly or be in danger of killing Bella, again.

Tanya had been quiet as I ran her through with my story. She did not look at me with disappointment or shame; instead, Tanya's eyes glazed with pity.

"Edward, you were thirsty at the time." Tanya said. "And everyone, even the most careful are going to make mistakes. You should return to Forks. Your family need you. Carlisle needs you. I'm sure they all want you to go back."

Mentally, she wanted me to stay. Mentally, she was also urging me to leave and return to Carlisle. However, I was not ready to go home to face my family.

And then, there was Bella.

**Bella**

I woke up the next day and felt brilliant. Despite my run in with Edward Cullen, I was happy to return to school. I had friends. I had people to talk to. I flung the curtains to my bedroom apart and saw a beauty; the sun rising to greet me. This added a bonus to my dad. As I showered and pulled on some clothes, I began to whistle a random tune.

My happiness was still singing as I went down the stairs to prepare a simple breakfast. Raisin toast with eggs and hash browns was on today's menu. Half an hour later, with Charlie coming down and breakfast on the table, I was still in a good mood.

"Good morning Charlie!" I called out. "It's toast, eggs and hash browns today!"

"Morning Bella" said Charlie, eyeing me suspiciously. "You seem to be in awfully great mood today. Is everything alright?"

"Of course!" I answered. "Oh and by the way, Charlie, do you mind if I go down to La Push next Saturday? I'm going with a couple of kids from school. Plus, I would really like to see Jacob again; I don't remember the last time we've been spoken."

Charlie was glad that I was settling down at Forks. Personally, I was happy too. Over the table, we discussed my first day at school. I asked him if he knew anything about the Cullens. Charlie confirmed most of what I already knew; they were adopted and usually well behaved.

Soon, I was off to school. I met my friends. W were discussing the day to La Push. I was in high spirits; then again, so were the rest of my companions. By lunchtime, the final confirmations and arrangements had been made. The chatter dispersed into other topics.

My eyes flickered towards the Cullen table; I expected to see Edward and his 'friendly face'. To my surprise, the table was completely deserted; neither Edward nor his family were in sight. I tilted my head and appeared to frown. Jessica noticed my staring ad answered my unspoken query.

"They never go to school on sunny days." Jessica said pleasantly. "Apparently, Dr Cullen takes everybody on a hiking trip. Honestly, what do they see in boring mountains?"

I laughed.

Things were way too green here.


	6. Friendly Surprises

**Please review!!!!!!!!!! Btw, I do not own any of the characters!**

**Chapter Six: Friendly Surprises**

**Emmett**

Rosalie, Alice, Jasper and I were hunting; we were making use of the sunny day. I hoped to find a stray bear but even I would make do with some deer.

It was different to not have Edward among us. Edward was always a pleasant company, even though his mind reading ability was frustrating at times. Play fighting and wrestles were not so even when your opponent knew your every move. Naturally, Alice fell into the same category.

Alice had seen no signs of Edward returning in the next couple of days. Apparently, he would remain with the Denalis and be reasonably happy there. I was glad that Edward would be able to 'recover' from his 'attempt'; however, I wanted him back here at home. Rose would never practise combat with me; she claimed that it messed up her hair. Jasper would usually be available, though he clearly preferred some quiet time with Alice.

Seriously, life was much better with Edward around. Esme wasn't so concerned, Alice so freaky and Rose............well, she just seemed a little less stubborn. I laughed out loud.

I hunted until my eyes were back to my favourite shade of light brown. Rose had been very funny; we had thrown a small dingo two and fro before yielding to our temptations and drinking the blood. When we returned home, Alice was nowhere to be seen.

"Jazz, where's Alice?" Rose had asked.

"I don't know" Jasper admitted, looking slightly troubled. "But Alice has a tendency to do slightly odd things, so I'll simply wait until she gets back."

I nodded to him and headed upstairs to Rose.

We leapt onto the bed.

**Bella**

I boarded my truck after saying goodbye to all of my friends. The trip home was relatively uneventful as I began listening to some classical music. Debussy's music made my list of favourite tracks.

I contemplated a relatively dull Friday night and an even more boring weekend. As I parked my truck in its usual position in the driveway, something or should I say someone on the front veranda captured my attention. I squinted. To my great surprise, I identified her as the graceful pixie. Alice Cullen.

My mouth gaped open and with effort I slammed it shut. Alice appeared to have heard. What was she doing here anyway? Why had she turned up, practically by the front door? If she had been so desperate to see me, why hadn't she simply come to school? And again, what on earth was she doing here?

I bit my lip and walked towards my front door. I kept my face blank, yet determined. I walked up the steps and looked at Alice in the eye. Her irises were of a warm, golden colour; they showed not hate but signs of kindness. I stared at her, calculating. She dressed trendily, in clothes that fit her size and shape. Her hands were folded neatly in front of her.

"I don't think we've actually met yet, Bella!" Alice squealed brightly. "But, we're going to be such good friends! Can I come in?"

I was momentarily taken aback. One second, there had been a stranger (the sibling of the biggest git I had ever known) on my doorstep; the next moment, here was somebody claiming that we would become excellent friends! I had no idea what was going on. Alice was smiling with a radiated expression as she waited for me to unlock the door.

In the end, I gave up and allowed her to go in.

"What are you doing here?" I asked; force seeped into my tone.

I was not sounding like an unwelcoming host; however, I was suspicious as to why Alice was here.

"I'm sorry!" she exclaimed suddenly. "But, I don't think we've been properly introduced! My name is Alice Cullen and yes, I happen to already know that you are Isabella Swan who prefers to go by the name of Bella. I hope you absolutely love shopping; we're going to be doing a lot of that in the future."

"Wait, hand on a minute" I said, cutting her off. "How do you know all this?"

"Because I know, Bella" was Alice's response, as she tapped her head. "And, I know that we will become great friends."

That was an awkward declarement. It was followed by a few minutes of brief silence.

There wasn't anything else to do; we began to talk.

**Alice**

I beamed a laughed lightly while Bella described her clumsiness. A vampire would never claim that one characteristic; she and I were a hilarious contrast. Bella was not a fan of shopping or fashion at all. I, on the other hand was borderline obsessed. Bella's interests did not include physical activity; I loved playing baseball with the rest of my family.

Despite our personality clash, we were getting on nicely. I didn't really need to be a psychic to know that our friendship was blooming effortlessly. Evening fell; I was glad Bella hadn't appeared to notice anything strange or supernatural about me.

I was having fun, but I really needed to go. The darkening sky indicated that this was a safe time for my kind to roam about.

"I've really got to go, Bella." I farewelled. "But, I will see you rather soon."

In my vision, I saw myself in Bella's bedroom. Around ten dresses were scattered across her bed. Bella was looking at them with a sceptical, unenthusiastic manner. My own hands were buried in Bella's hair; I was pulling the strands into elegant knots and sweeps. I giggled as she complained and tried to prise my fingers away. Her hand brushed against my icy, cold hand without flinching, but I knew I would continue and that I wouldn't withdraw.

I snapped back to the present and made sure Bella wasn't watching out the window as I jogged home. While our secret would be known to her one day, I would rather it didn't happen now. Bella was still new to us and the area; such information would be overwhelming. She could accidently slip up.

I had just stepped into the driveway, when a flash of unexpected white flew towards me. That white happened to be my husband, Jasper.

"Alice, where have you been?" Jasper asked, his face lined with concern and worry.

I pitched my voice low and told him. Jasper was taken aback. He stared at me; a slight anger flittered across his expression. I knew this was going to happen.

"Alice!' Jasper gasped. "Bella is a human! And you know what we are, vampires! What if you lost control? What would it mean?"

I placed my finger against his lips. "Jazz, I've heard it all already." I moaned, tapping my head, indicating my ability to see the future. "I've heard it all once; I'm in no mood to listen to it all over again."

Jasper stopped speaking. I hastened to continue my sort of explanation.

"Jasper, I wouldn't have gone if there was the slightest chance of things going badly." I said, tapping my temple again. "I would have told you except I knew that you would try and stop me. But, don't you see Jazz? Nothing bad was going to happen. I keep saying that Bella and I are going to be friends and I meant every word of it. This afternoon, I tried and it worked without a breeze. There's nothing dangerous, Jazz. What would go wrong?"

His military instincts blended in with his trust in me. Jasper's eyes tensed and then relaxed. I was momentarily perplexed.

"I trust you Alice." he stated simply.

And then, he kissed me.


	7. Away From Home

**Please review!!! I know there are more people visiting that telling me what they think! Look, if you think this fanfic is dodgy, please tell me. If you think it's brilliant, please tell me.**

**I don't own anything except for Andrew. :|**

**Chapter Seven: Away From Home**

**Edward**

It was midday on Saturday. I felt as though my stay at Denali had lasted for almost a week; in fact, I hadn't even been here for twenty four hours. Tanya was being a gracious host, despite her mind loosely hoping in romantic opportunities. I was annoyed.

The others were a much more bearable. Eleazer's jokes were mildly funny while Kate enjoyed surprising everybody with a sudden electric style shock. Her gift was different to my own. Kate's talent allowed her to produce a small but concentrated burst of energy that doubled up as pain. My own little gift allowed me to move away before she had the chance to shock me.

_Why so quiet Edward? Is something bothering you? _The thought was Kate's. I didn't know what to say or how to even explain, so I merely shook my head slowly. Her head turned slowly back to the gothic novel she was entertaining herself with. Carmen and Eleazer were nowhere in sight; as I couldn't hear their thoughts, I assumed the happy couple to be hunting with Irina.

I sighed.

I missed Forks. I missed my family. I missed Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, Rose and Emmett. And Alice. I missed Alice and her crazy ideas. Everything was different now……

I failed to notice that Kate had stood up and leaped over to me. She placed her hands on the back of my armchair.

"Edward, what is bothering you?" Kate asked lightly, "Are you missing Carlisle? And the rest of your family? Because if you leave, Edward, we're not going to consider it a major insult."

I had not come down to that line of thinking. I had not even considered leaving yet. No. I wasn't ready. I wasn't prepared to face the disappointment of my family nor the wrath of Bella's scent. I could not return in my current state. It would do nobody any good.

"Just thinking." I said casually; Kate nodded curtly.

**Esme**

Carlisle was at the hospital while Alice and Rosalie headed to a mall in Seattle. Jasper and Emmett were in the garage, tinkering with the Jeep. This left me, alone, in the vast expanses of the Cullen home.

I walked out of the bedroom that Carlisle and I shared. I imagined Edward playing the piano; his hands would move intricately along the keys, creating a number of fantastic tunes and harmonies. Listening to Alice and Edward together was another beauty. I laughed about the fond memories.

I sat on the banister and allowed myself to slide at a relatively slow pace down to the ground. In a few short steps, I was standing by the grand piano and then sitting upon the stool.

In my youth, I had played a little music. The flowing melodies and rich sounds were magic to my ear; though, I would never be as passionate as Edward had begun. I placed my hands onto the keys and began playing.

My own small compositions were easy to remember and uncomplicated. The music was relaxing but also brought back painful thoughts. I could never play as elegantly as Edward. I could never match his musicianship skills. I could never fill the silent gap that he had left.

When Edward left, he took more than just his physical person.

He took away a son.

And left a family in chaos.

**Bella**

My weekend had been quite uneventful. I had spoken over the phone to Angela; she was also in high spirits about La Push. Jessica had also offered to watch a movie with me at her place. To this, I had agreed although the general plotline of the film had been very boring.

Unbelievably, I was happy to return to school on Monday. Something very odd in the back of my mind yearned to see Alice again. Despite her relationship with _him _and obsession with fashion, we had a lot in common. I found it easy to talk and have fun with Alice.

I also wanted to see my other new friends again. Angela and Jess were pleasant company; we had things to talk about and things in common. Mike and Eric were also enjoyable to be around.

I arrived at school at the usual time and looked around the carpark. Mike was waving at me not too far away and I returned his gesture. I also noticed a dazzling, red convertible parked nearby. It was a pretty vehicle; just too fancy for my taste.

"Hey Mike!" I called out, once he was in shouting range. "Have a good weekend?"

"Yeah, not too bad." Mike answered, shrugging. "It's nearly time for first period. Do you want to walk to biology together?"

Of course, I said yes. I could not simply disappoint that lively smile. We headed to class; Angela joined us halfway there, jabbering about La Push this weekend. I was extremely happy to be back in the awesome school world. My delight only multiplied to find my desk empty and my lab partner missing. Not that he was much of a helpful partner anyway.

I paid little attention to Mr Banner. He was going on and on about something in a tone that was dull and sleep worthy. I spent the class doodling randomly on the corner of my book. Statements such as 'Biology was better in Phoenix', 'I hate Edward Cullen' and 'I wonder how old Jacob is now' were written.

It was a relief when the bell rang to signify the end of first period. I packed my bag slowly and departed the room with Mike and Angela.

"What have you got now?" I asked her.

"Government." Angela said, while making a brief vomiting gesture. 'I'll see you later, Bella."

I waved Angela goodbye as she turned down a corridor. As Mike and I went to the gym, we discussed the homework we had been set. Mike was funny; he frequently made jokes about some of the aspects of the school. When Jessica arrived, she began an animated narration of her activities this weekend.

**Mike**

I finished changing and jogged outside. Coach Clapp marked the roll and was very happy to find everybody present today.

"We will be doing badminton." He announced in between humming a song by the Black Eyed Peas. "I want you to pair up. Andrew, set up the nets."

Andrew was a mildly athletic idiot. Sure, he was sporty; but why was Coach Clapp so fond of him? Sure, Andrew played badminton on weekends; but, he couldn't recite the basic rules to save his life. I didn't like Andrew one bit. He had once tried to sit with my friends and me at lunch; we rejected him with a firm finality.

I zoned out of scornful memories. The students were all moving and pairing up.

"Bella, would you like to be my partner?" I asked her eagerly.

"Sure" Bella answered, a beautiful smile playing on her pink lips. "But, believe me I'm not good at all."

I didn't care if Bella was completely crap at badminton.

As long as I got to play with her.


	8. Emmett and Rosalie

**It's only inevitable that the other Cullens will find out about Alice's journey to Bella's house. And Rosalie...........isn't very happy at all.**

**Disclaimer: All characters are property of the great Stephenie Meyer.**

**Chapter Eight: Emmett and Rosalie**

**Bella**

Gym was horrible. I couldn't believe that Mike had the kind heart to bear with my awful clumsiness. I had attempted to hang around the back and stay out of his way. Unfortunately, Coach Clapp ordered that I get more involved. As a consequence, I tripped while making a desperate lunge, whacked my racquet into the net and got hit by the ricocheting, useless thing.

Coach Clapp and Mike both laughed after that incident. He took centre stage once more and Coach Clapp did not encourage me to try again. For that, I was relieved.

Relief was even sweeter when the bell rang. I all but ran to the cafeteria. In my haste, I found myself there early. At my table sat a girl whom I had seen but never identified by name. However, she was surly and unpleasant. When, I sat down, she turned away rudely, scoffing.

"Oh joy, Bella's here." she muttered.

I took my bag off my shoulders and shoved it to the floor. The smirk on her face was so annoying; I just wanted to get some whiteboard cleaner and wipe it away. Before I got the chance, the others were arriving.

"Hey Lauren!" Jessica cried out loudly. "Oh! You have got to see my brand new dress! I was telling Bella about it during Gym!"

Lauren (as I had finally heard of her name) glared at me before turning to Jessica. I glanced past the two of them into the Cullen table. I saw Alice; her back was towards me but her short, spiky was obvious. Edward Cullen to my immense pleasure was nowhere to be seen. The other three were at the table. I had no difficulty in remembering the names. The blonde female was Rosalie Hale. The other males (who looked to old to be in high school) were Emmett Cullen and Jasper Hale.

I was pleased with myself.

"What are you staring at?" a voice asked me.

I turned my head to see Eric staring at me. Lol. I guess his question would seem rather comical in comparison to his actions. I shrugged, merely gesturing some of the calm scenery that I could see out of the windows. Now, Eric was talking about what he loved and hated about plants. In order to escape without hurting his feelings; I decided to move on to my next class. Government.

As I was about to exit the cafeteria, I hand tapped me quickly on the shoulder. I spun around to see Alice grinning at me.

"Hey Bella, I believe we have Government together." she said kindly.

**Rosalie**

What was Alice Cullen doing? Why was she talking to the human as though they were already good friends? Why was she risking an exposure of our secret? Did she think herself so important that she were _allowed _to do such a thing?

I growled under my breath. My anger was short lived as a wave of calm battered at it. I looked up. Sure enough, my 'twin' Jasper was looking at me.

"What?" I hissed dangerously as Emmett patted my back.

"Calm down Rosalie." Jasper said. "Alice has got it completely under control."

And then he winked.

I knew that he was hiding something from he. The way his face was set made me come to think that he was trying to refrain from laughing. Giving him a short I glare, I listened to Bella and Alice's conversation. They still had not left for class. Government, was it?

"Where's Edward?" I heard Bella ask.

"He's just having a bit of time off." Alice chirped back. "He'll be back in two days."

I was angry. Again. Jasper calmed me down. Again. How could Alice have known that Edward was coming home in two days and not care to tell me? She was a sister to me. Another low growl emitted from my throat. Alice (who obviously heard) glanced once at me, once to Jasper before departing arm and arm with Bella.

I turned to Jasper for an explanation.

"How long?" Emmett asked him.

Admittedly, it was my query too. But a 'why' was higher on my priority list than a 'how long'.

"Since last Friday." Jasper responded calmly. "Alice went to her house."

I stood up dramatically, allowing my chair to fall swiftly to the ground. It would have shattered into half a million pieces had Emmett not caught it in time.

I went to look for Alice.

**Alice**

Bella and I were debating the advanatages of hiking and forest activity when I picked up the sound of hurried footsteps around the corridor. I easily recognised them as Rosalie's. Hoping Bella was sufficiently distracted, I cast my mind into the future. I saw Rosalie. A confrontation. Some yelling.

This hasty sight was all I got to see. Rosalie came around the corner, next lesson. Her eyes narrowed upon seeing Bella, whom was looking at her with a half fearful half amazed expression.

"A word Alice?"

I quickly followed Rose for a few metres. Honestly, she didn't need to ask; she should have been aware that I would have foreseen this little conversation happening.

"Alice, are you out of your mind?" Rose demanded, her voice pitched low enough that other students could not hear. "You went and visited the girl. At her own house! On a day that we stayed home or hunted because it was sunny!"

"I knew things would go well!" I exclaimed, tapping my head. "And Rose, it did. Don't act as though something terrible had happened and I had revealed our secret. Believe me Rose, I haven't."

"Edward nearly killed her." Rosale said forcefully. "So, you turn up at her house?"

"Bella and I are going to be great friends." I retorted. "Haven't I been saying that all along?"

"Yes! Yes." she groaned. "As a matter of a fact, you've been saying that way too many times. Bella and I are going to be friends! Bella and I are going to be friends! Look Alice, she's a human. And we are a vampires!"

I raised my hand to silence her. I'd seen the conversation. Already, I'd heard everything that she intended to speak.

"I wouldn't have gone if things were going to end badly." I stated firmly. "But, I knew that everything would be alright."

A scowl, sharp and ugly erupted onto Rosalie's face. She looked angry enough to pounce and rip me to shreds for something that appeared in her mind to be unacceptable.

Then she acted so impulsively that I did not foresee what would happen.

The ground below me vanished.

It was replaced by flying air.


	9. Two Days

**Please Review!!!!!! Disclaimer- Characters belong to S Meyer.**

**Chapter Nine: Two Days**

**Emmett**

I was following Rosalie's scent; Jasper was right behind me. She was feeling murderous, Jasper had told me and with my wife that was always a dangerous situation.

I could smell Rose; she had to be somewhere nearby. I heard her faint growl and then the sounds of a muted collision onto the floor. I turned the corridor at vampire speed glad that no humans were within seeing range.

And then, I saw her.

Well, them to be correct. For it appeared that Alice was beneath her, squirming to get away. Jasper snarled. I reached out and pulled Rose upwards.

"Don't" I warned her. "There may be humans about."

"There is." Alice said in a surly manner from her position in Jasper's arms.

Next minute, the new girl came into sight. Isabella Swan. Her expression was one of confusion as she looked towards Alice; her eyes yearning for an explanation. I observed as Alice slowly dislodged herself from Jasper's arms. She muttered something into his ear, pitched too low for me to hear. Then, she departed to class. Bella's arm was entangled with her own.

I watched their backs. I listened to the conversation that Alice had started. It was a lively story which indicated that Rosalie was trying to scab answers from her. As the bell rang, I put my arm around Rosalie and guided her way.

"I'll see you later." Jasper said, farewelling me.

**Bella**

This was Government. It was a vaguely boring subject. Drowning in a sea of words about politics, I could only hope that Alice had taken notes. Through yawning eyes, I glanced over and yes she was writing things down in the neatest handwriting that I had ever seen.

But then as I observed dreamily for a few minutes, I noticed something odd.

Alice was writing continuously. Not once did she look up at the whiteboard to find the next sentence. Not once did she glance around to double check that the spelling of a word was right. I stared at her, confused. My eyebrows would have been rocketing upwards and reaching my hairline, had I been able to see them. I took another look at her page. And moved my eyes to the board.

Something else was odd. The writing on Alice's page was different to the text on the board. I looked again, carefully.

This time, I noticed that Alice's words were slightly _ahead _of the whiteboard. Up to a certain point, the letters and punctuation matched perfectly. Then, as one line of words halted, another continued.

Alice wasn't looking but she knew what to write.

Alice hadn't asked but she knew the answer.

It was as though she already knew the future……..

And naturally, I found that strange. I poked her lightly on the arm, feeling a jolt of cool upon contact with her icy skin. Alice had claimed it to be due to a blood circulation problem but I wasn't too sure. Immediately, her head pivoted around to face me. Her hand had stopped writing. There was a shadow of burning triumph in her eyes.

I pointed to her page. "Where are you copying that from?" I asked while indicating the board which had not yet caught up with her."

"Bella," Alice chuckled. "I do happen to be very good at predicting what people will do. It's only a lucky guess; most of this stuff had probably been come out of a textbook anyway."

The explanation made me slightly more suspicious. It was one thing to guess a small string of words or a sentence in advance but a completely different occurrence to grab at paragraphs. Alice was hiding something from me and I knew it.

Alice looked at me again, piercing me with her golden brown eyes.

"Get over it." she whispered, a smile appearing on her features.

I looked away.

I was confused.

Again.

**Edward**

I had finally made up my mind that it would be unwise for me to remain at Denali for much longer. I had hunted plentifully, enjoying the change in diet while being up North. I was feeling good and confident for the very first time since nearly killing Bella.

I was prepared to go home again. I wanted no needed to see my family once more. I wanted to have fun with Emmett and Jasper. I longed for crazy, sophisticated conversations with Alice. Even quarrelling pointlessly with Rosalie felt appealing. I knew that I would have to face the disappointment of Esme and Carlisle but I was certain that they would forgive me.

In two days, I would take my car and head back to Forks. It would be a Wednesday so that would mean going to school. I hesitated for a fraction of a second.

_What's the verdict Edward? Are you leaving soon? _Irina was asking without speaking as she trained her eyes on me. Kate came into the room and sat onto the couch beside her. _What's happening? Is Edward leaving? _

Both sisters were staring at me, waiting for my answer. I had decided my departure day, so I announced it.

"Tanya, Kate." I said slowly. "I've decided to leave on Wednesday morning. Thank you so much for accepting me to stay. I appreciate your kindness greatly."

"It's no problem Edward!" Tanya exclaimed. "We could hardly say no and turn you away! It would be disgraceful to Carlisle! What sort of an extended family would we be?"

"It was really great having you here." Kate said seriously. "We've had so many more interesting conversations which have changed in nature too…."

She winked at me. _We all know who the mind reader here is. _Kate's thoughts were of amusement clashed with Tanya's subtle longing. I sighed. After all this time, Tanya had refused to give up hope. Vampires. We all could be really stubborn at times.

I pushed all thoughts of her away as I contemplated the future. In two days, I would be back amongst my familiar home. In two days, I would see my family again.

As if the entire Bella episode was merely a bad dream.

**Bella**

By lunch, I still couldn't shake away my suspicious thoughts about Alice. It wasn't as though I doubted her friendship or anything; I just had the feeling that she was concealing something from me. Something big. A huge secret involving freezing cold skin and the future? I could not come up with a decent explanation.

"Hey Bella!" Jessica cried as she sat down next to me, banging her tray onto the table. "Oh no! Did you do the Calculus homework? I totally forgot!"

We had Calculus after lunch so I was not stunned about Jessica's panic. I tossed her my sheets and allowed her to copy whatever she needed.

"Thanks a million Bella." gasped Jessica as she scrambled to find a pen.

Disinterested, I turned my attention back to the Cullen table. It appeared that Alice and Rosalie were having some sort of an argument. However, they were very far away so I couldn't hear a word. Bored, I found myself speaking to Angela. She was the easiest to have a normal conversation with. I could understand her feelings and I knew that she could relate to me as well.

I was unhappy that Angela was not in my Calculus class. Then again, these things couldn't be helped.

I left with Mike and Jessica.

I was able to focus for that hour as an array of arranged numbers was written into my book. I noticed Jessica; she was frequently staring at Mike as though observing his every move. With a sigh, I noticed that Mike was frequently looking at me.

I sighed. This was new. People were being nice to me and actually glancing twice (or in many cases more) at boring, old, plain Bella.

**Charlie**

I was at the station quite early on Tuesday morning. This wasn't because there was an emergency that desperately needed my attention; instead this was a case of my good mood. My daughter, Bella was settling down at school extremely well. She had many friends and claimed to have gotten acquainted with one of Carlisle Cullen's adopted kids.

I also found it nice to have something appealing to eat for breakfast. Ever since Renee left me, I had found myself living alone with few intentions to cook. Fast food could only be a satisfying diet for so long. Since Bella came, I have had the chance to eat bacon, eggs, hash browns and various other tasty things.

My life was so much better with Bella here.


	10. Second Attempt

**Please review! Disclaimer- S Meyer owns all the characters and locations.**

**Chapter Ten: Second Attempt**

**Alice**

_A silver Volvo pulled hastily into the driveway of a grand, beautiful yet secluded house. It parked in its designated place in the garage. Out stepped a young male with golden eyes and pale, white skin. His name was Edward Cullen. As he walked slowly towards the house, knowing that it was empty except for one, he glanced upwards at the sky. The weather was overcast and cloudy but he could see the sun right above him. It was midday. He entered the house and was delighted to be met by a woman who had similar attributes. Esme Cullen gave her adopted son a welcoming hug._

I snapped out of the vision. Jasper was already asking me what I had seen.

"Edward will be home at around midday." I told him.

I didn't get a chance to say anything more when the door to my bedroom was flung open. Emmett practically charged in, already full of high spirits. Rosalie entered behind him.

"Did I hear right?" Emmett shouted in his big, booming voice. "Edward's coming home today? Soon?"

"Yes." I answered, simple and to the point. "With a vampire's hearing, Emmett, it would be difficult to hear wrong."

Emmett and Jasper laughed.

We rode in Rosalie's flashy convertible to school. We all knew that this would probably be the last time in a while that this would happen. I did not need my husband's emotional gift to see that Rosalie was not very happy about this fact. I sighed. There wasn't much she could do about it.

Jasper took my hand and we started to head in the direction of the front of the school. I was skipping slightly; I was happy for two really huge reasons. One, Edward would be coming home today and make the Cullen house feel right again. Two, I would see Bella as we had Government together in first period. Naturally, Jasper was feeling all of my elation.

We arrived at our table in the cafeteria. I noticed that Bella wasn't here yet. A quick search into the future told me that she was on her way, having merely encountered a spot of unexpected traffic. I chuckled internally. How traffic could affect anybody in a region like Forks, I had no idea.

When the bell rang, I went to Government alone and took the table where Bella and I now sat. I was amused as she rushed in, only just making it on time. Momentarily exhausted, Bella flopped straight down into the seat next to me.

"Bad traffic." she panted as a way of explanation.

"I understand."

**Edward**

I hadn't taken anything with me to Denali, so there was nothing really to take back home. Eleazer had given me a couple of his shirts; I was grateful not to return to my family in clothes dripping with blood. It would not leave a very good impression.

I farewelled and thanked them for the final time.

I was in no hurry but still found it necessary to drive quickly. Beyond doubt, Alice had informed the family of my decision to be back today. The question was, would they all be there waiting for me?

Truthfully, I didn't want them all to be there. I didn't want to feel all their disappointing thoughts in one mangled lot.

My drive was serene. I crossed the through the Canadian borders into Washington. Soon enough, I had arrived at Forks and was able to breathe in the familiar scents of the town and local wildlife. I was driving quickly on the road where my home was located. I made the turn into the driveway a sharp, hasty one; as a result, the wheels made a squeaking sound. _Edward's here. _I could hear Esme's joyful thought from inside the house. She was so motherly and forgiving; how I could have ever deserted her and Carlisle during a rebellious period in my youth?

I got out of the car and closed the garage door behind me. Glancing at the sky, I realised that it was approximately noon. I had arrived sooner that I had intended.

I was walking at a slow, human pace to the front door. I didn't need to knock. Next moment, the door had been flung open and I had been pulled into a hug.

_Things haven't been right without you here. _Esme was thinking. _Honestly, we need somebody who plays the piano better than I do. _I felt the guilt rise in my head. The least I could do was apologise.

"I'm sorry Esme." I said truthfully. "I couldn't help myself and then there appeared to be no other option available."

I knew that she forgave me. It was all over her mind and her body.

The question remained to be; could the others?

**Carlisle**

I had arranged for Doctor Snow to replace me when I decided to leave early. Alice had already informed that Edward was back and I really wanted to see my adopted son again. It may have been just six days; but, it felt like a month, maybe two since Edward had disappeared.

I parked my lovely Mercedes and noted that Edward's Volvo was back. That was an excellent sign.

I took a deep breath (even though such a thing wasn't necessary for one of my kind) and stepped inside the house.

"He's upstairs in his room" Alice mouthed at me, winking.

I made my way upstairs and towards Edward's room. He had the best view where the natural landscape was a beauty and where the sun would create vibrant patterns in the sky. He would have known of my coming; he would have heard my approach with both his ears and mind. However, it still felt right to knock.

The door swung open immediately.

"Carlisle." he said. "I'm sorry."

I didn't blame him. I told him that in my thoughts. It was in his eyes that were still filled with self disappointment and no doubt explanations of one of my not-so-pleasant lectures. I wasn't in the mood; having Edward back was good enough for me.

"I know that you are strong enough to handle Bella." I said calmly and slowly. "All you need is a second attempt."

Edward nodded.

**Bella**

"This dinner is really good." Charlie complemented me as we ate the beef casserole that I had made.

"Thanks Charlie." I said. "But it is the new cookbook that you should be complementing, not me."

My father laughed but it was clear that he truly believed that _I _was the hero of the meal. Well, I guess that was the outcome of years dining at restaurants; appreciating a home cook became too easy. I retreated into my room and logged onto the computer. The internet connection was slow; I drummed my fingers along the edge of my desk as I waited for my email to load up.

The first two were from my mother. Renee may be happy and having fun with her new boyfriend but she was still willing to know about what was going on in my life. I smiled and composed a quick reply. The next two emails were from Jessica and Mike. Jessica had written a long, repetitive narrative about her shopping adventure last night. To me, it sounded rather boring but I replied in a few sentences anyway. Mike's email was far more interesting.

_Hey Bella!_

_This Saturday, would you like to ride with me? It's either that or Lee's mini van and believe me; there's always an unpleasant fish smell in that vehicle. We're meeting outside my parents' hardware store. You know where it is right Bella? Anyway, see you at school tomorrow!_

_Mike._

Charlie loved fish but I had not inherited the same passion. In my opinion, fish were merely animals that lived in the sea and were able to swim. So, I was more than happy to go with Mike.

_Hi Mike._

_I've never really liked fish. I think Charlie likes fish a little too much though. So yeah, I'll go in your car. Of course I know where the shop is. Remember? I went there on Sunday, courtesy of Charlie in order to get these random tools._

_Bella._

I clicked 'Send' before logging out and shutting the computer down. I decided to go to bed early.

Tomorrow was a new day.


	11. Too Odd

**I'm so sorry for the long wait! I hope I've made it up to you by having a slightly longer than usual chapter! Reviews are welcome! ;)**

**Disclaimer: All Stephenie Meyer's.**

**Chapter Eleven: Too Odd**

**Emmett**

It was just after midnight when Edward and Carlisle returned from their hunting trip. Edward appeared to be in a good mood. I wondered whether or not he would be going back to school tomorrow.

"I think I will Emmett." Edward said after a momentary flick at Carlisle. "Yeah, I will."

I nodded before turning to Rosalie. I had intended to ask if she felt like going upstairs to annoy everyone possible with our 'fun' but instead I saw her looking at Edward intently. I knew the look on my brother's face; he was concentrating specifically on her thoughts. Oddly enough; he wasn't preparing to bite her head off.

"Rosalie!" Alice cried out suddenly having seen something that she did not want to see. "No!"

Alice was now glaring unhappily at Rosalie. Her eyes would dart frequently back to Edward while her face kept its stony expression. Edward turned in an exaggerated pivot to look at his tiny sister. Within my peripheral vision, Jasper moved closer to protect Alice if necessary.

"What did you tell him?" I muttered at Rose who was now standing smugly by my side.

Rose never had the opportunity to answer me for at that moment a low unhappy growl could be heard, emerging from the back of Edward's throat.

"Edward..." Carlisle warned cautiously.

But, Edward was completely in control of what he was doing.

"Alice." He said. "Why?"

Suddenly, I felt as though I had a good idea what this was all about. Bella Swan. More specifically, Alice being friends with Bella Swan despite Edward nearly killing her a week ago. I wondered if Alice was telling the tale in her head to spare the rest of us from another retelling from the story.

Seriously, I was fine with Alice being friends with her. The girl blushed red a lot and that in my mind was funny.

I knew Rose wanted to wait around to see if there were signs of an argument. After all, Edward seemed to spend a lot of time screaming at my wife. Either way, I dragged her upstairs.

"Let's see who can make less noise." I muttered into her ear.

**Edward**

I had stopped scowling and grumbling by the time that we were heading to school. Of course, Rosalie had just begun complaining that her flashy BMW was a much better drive.

When we all reached the building and I reversed into the usual parking spot, I noticed my family visibly tense up. I knew why; Bella could easily be close by collecting her things or fiddling with my truck. Even so, it was too annoying. Too overprotective. Too odd. And there was little I could do about it.

By lunchtime, nothing had happened. My family and I were sitting in our usual seats with a tray of food before each of us. Alice was staring dreamily out the window; she watched the snow drift down. Emmett and Rosalie were staring at one another with an intense expression. Jasper was being thoughtful.

Suddenly, a small ball of snow connected with my face while another one crashed into Emmett and Rosalie,

"Ew!" she cried out. "You've gotten snow into my hair!"

But, Alice (the source of the snowballs) was grinning. "Bella will be entering in approximately 38 seconds."

Emmett grumbled before hurling a huge snowball her. Soon enough, we were all laughing and covered in slushy snow. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as Bella came in with a couple of her friends. She didn't realise my presence until it was her turn to collect her food.

Our eyes met. At first, she looked surprised about my being here and then annoyed at something that I didn't know.

"I'll just have a soda thanks." she told the lady at the counter.

She did not look another time in my direction as she sat at the table. Angela began to talk to her; the topic of their conversation appeared to be of some sort of trip down to the First Beach at La Push. I was certain that La Push was within the Quileute region so I would have no opportunities of going there myself. I was still staring at her curiously. However, I have to admit being dissatisfied with the zero luck with reading Bella's mind.

"Edward Cullen is staring at you." Jessica whispered to me, while giving me an odd expression.

_Damn it, I wish he were staring at me. _Her thoughts were wild with imagination; she was wondering how it would feel to kiss me. I doubted that the situation would end very well.

"Well, stop staring at him." Bella was saying to Jessica in a bored tone as her focus flicked back towards Angela.

I shook my head slowly. _What's wrong? _Alice's thought echoed in my mind. I mouthed a 'Nothing' to her.

Lunch dragged. As the bell rang, my family tensed up. They were all thinking about this time last week and my reaction to Bella at my previous Biology lesson.

"Give him more credit than that." Alice said, seeing the future. "This lesson should be just fine."

Her thoughts betrayed her words; worry was etched into each of them. However, Emmett and Rosalie relaxed greatly. I got up and began to walk to class. I stretched each of my footsteps out long. Bella had already left before me; I wanted to put some distance between her body and mine.

**Bella**

I started to unpack my bag, taking out a pencil case, a textbook and an exercise book. I had to remind myself that due to the fact that Edward Cullen had returned; I could not spread out my belongings over the entire length of the table. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his figure enter the room. I looked down and flickered through the textbook, wondering what we would be learning today.

I heard the sound of a chair, scraping lightly along the floor.

"Hello" came a light, musical voice; it sounded like a lower, more masculine version of Alice's.

"I'm Edward Cullen." he introduced. "I'm sorry that I didn't get a chance to introduce myself earlier."

I nodded. "I'm Bella Swan."

"You must be Chief Swan's daughter." Edward's sentence was just a statement and not a question so I simply nodded again.

At that moment, Mr Banner strolled into the classroom and silenced all hushed conversations. I turned my head away from Edward and faced the front. However, I did notice that his posture was still extremely stiff; at least his seat was angled into my direction.

Today, we would be doing a practical. I sighed; Mr Banner's experiment description reminded me greatly of a task that I had completed in Phoenix. Even without the textbook, I should find this easy. There was a scrambling of screeching chairs as everybody hastened to start. Mike was looking very flustered and I bit back a desire to roll my eyes.

After all, it was just the simple job of separating onion tip root cells into various phases of mitosis. Oh that and labelling.

"Ladies first partner?" Edward offered kindly. "Or I could go first, if you wish."

I had barely hesitated and already he was jumping to conclusions about my scientific ability. I hadn't even shaken my head and already he was treating me like I was mentally incompetent. Arrogant, proud and 'I'm-too-good-for –you' wasn't something that I would associate with somebody that I liked.

"No, I think I will go first." I told him; it was a huge effort not to have a temper tantrum.

I took one of the slides and placed it swiftly beneath the microscope. I was showing off, just a little having already done this lab.

"Prophase", I assessed confidently.

"Do you mind if I look?" Edward asked as I began to remove the slide.

His fingers, cold and icy brushed against my wrist as he returned the slide to the stage. I frowned just a little but then again the weather was cold. Cold, wet and snowy. Three reasons why Forks was horrible for my tastes in climate.

After a quick apology, Edward examined the slide for himself. He appeared to agree with my analysis, writing the answer neatly on the first blank of the sheet. Edward picked up the second slide and took a look. It was hasty; it was fast.

"Anaphase." he muttered, writing it down.

Okay, he seemed to be proficient with this experiment as well but I wasn't about to let go without a decent glimpse for myself. I turned the eyepiece towards me and had to concede. Ugh. Edward was right.

"Slide three?" I asked.

He passed me the slide, dropping it casually into my outstretched palm. I gave it my fastest glance possible.

"Interphase." I said in a sure voice before shoving the microscope in his direction. He didn't need to ask.

I glanced at the piece of paper where we were recording. I would have written everything myself by the way his handwriting looked was too intimidating. The curly, elegant scrawl was too fancy almost desiring to flounce for attention. Edward chuckled as he saw my staring.

Not all people can be perfect.

I never had the time for a big retort; Mr Banner came down the aisle wondering why the pair of us weren't working. However, he had nothing to say. Our responses (three mine, two his) filled up all of the space.

"Shouldn't Isabella get a chance to identify some of the specimens?" Mr Banner asked Edward.

"Bella." Edward corrected him. "And she identified three of the specimens herself."

Mr Banner's attention swivelled towards me, questioning my Phoenix education. I informed him about my advanced placement back at my old school. I also informed him that I had already done this practical. Instead, I was using whitefish blastula.

As I handed out information, I was watching Edward's very odd facial expression. He was irritated about something; the way his eyebrows creased upwards was a clear indication of this. Was he annoyed that I had been considered an advanced student back in Phoenix? Or was it because I had done some of the identifying myself?

I had one word to describe him.

Prat.


	12. La Push

**Special thanks to the following wonderful people who have reviewed so far - Kennedy Strider Cullen, Autumn, MissEsme, , .. and LilMissPerfect14.**

**Disclaimer- Everything is owned by S Meyer. =))**

**Chapter Twelve: La Push**

**Edward**

The small talk between Bella and I was awfully strained during that period. Being unable to read her mind was a horrible disadvantage. Also, Bella wasn't one to dish out more information than necessary. I knew so little about her; Alice probably had more details that I did.

"Did you get contacts?" Bella asked suddenly.

If I had any idea why she was asking such a silly question, I would have chuckled. As if I didn't already have superior vision.

"No." I replied. "Why?"

"Your eyes look different." Bella said.

A little 'ding' in my head made me aware of my big mistake. Of course she had noticed my eyes. Last week, they were black with thirst. Today, they would be a shade of gold. I shrugged and turned away. I listened to her conversation with Mike Newton as she left the room.

They were discussing the outing planned for Saturday. I had heard the thoughts of others in the year such as Tyler Crowley and Lauren Mallory thinking about it too. I sighed.

I hoped that Bella wouldn't fall into the ocean or something. For some reason, I felt a certain pull which motivated me to protect her. And for another reason, I couldn't protect her down at La Push.

**Bella**

Friday.

Nothing of any interest happened.

Saturday morning.

I jumped out of bed, shocked to find that it was already so late and hurriedly showered. I threw on a pair of casual clothes; I was hardly expected to jump in and swim in the cold water. Swimming wasn't really my thing, anyway. Even on a day that was looking particularly bright and sunny.

Mike was looking really happy to see me. If only making Jessica as pleased was possible. I had already learnt through careful observation that she had a huge crush on Mike; if possible I would want to help her in any way possible. After all, Jessica was one of the first to actually try to introduce herself properly and help me around the crazy Forks High School. It was only natural that I wanted to return the kind favour.

Eventually, as more people arrived; every seat in both designated vehicles became necessary. I managed to force Jessica in between Mike and I. She looked quite cheered by this arrangement.

Confined in small spaces, we travelled to the beach.

A sudden whip of cool wind nearly made me lose balance. If I had not swung out madly into the side of the car, I would have fallen. Instead, I got a small scratch against the back of my hand. Which wasn't too bad. Really.

The entire group of us made our way down to the fringe of the sand and spread out a couple of large picnic rugs. We settled into an early lunch. As we finished off, laughing and conversing about anything possible, a group of boys descended and moved towards us. I could tell that they were from the local area; the learned way of which they moved indicated familiarity with the surroundings.

There was one of them that stood out in my eye. I wasn't sure if it was recognition or something else but I couldn't glance away from him. The broad smile across his face was so beautiful.

"Hey." He called out as he strolled towards me. "I'm Jacob Black. We used to play together when we were kids."

That would explain where the familiarity came from.

"Hi Jacob." I greeted; he was now standing just a few feet away from me. "Where are your sisters? Rachel and Rebecca?"

"Oh, they moved out not that long ago." He explained. "Rachel went off to a university while Rebecca got married and moved to Hawaii."

Jacob shrugged and I struggled not to be too amazed. The sisters were only a year and a half older than I was; the fact that they had already moved onto another phase of their lives was phenomenal. I glanced at Jacob another time; his smile making a small stutter in my breath. It was impossible not to feel happy in his presence.

"Will you come for a walk on the beach with me?" Jacob asked; that cute smile still playing on his light features.

"Sure," I replied, throwing in a grin of my own.

**Jacob**

Yes! Yes! Bella was willing to go for a stroll with me. It had been such a long time since I had seen her; I half feared that she would become unfamiliar or cautious with me. My spirits rose dramatically; Bella was the complete opposite.

I liked this beach. The water sent out a cool and refreshing breeze and the rocks were such beautiful elements of nature. Perhaps Bella didn't agree; we had only walked for about twenty minutes when her foot got caught on a washed up rock. She began to wobble precariously. Before I could even grab her arm or something; Bella fell forwards and her hands scraped lightly along the rough sand.

"Bella, you okay?" I asked with concern.

"Yeah sure." said Bella. "It's nothing. This sort of thing happens all the time."

Well, that wasn't too bad then. The cut didn't look very nasty, either.

As we strolled, we caught up on all the little things that had occurred since the last time Bella visited Forks. There were so many things that I loved coming out of her. Her smile, which was both beautiful and inviting; her sense of witty humour, which just had to make me feel happy; and most importability; the way she spoke of things in a way different to how normal people would talk.

Although, I really would appreciate it if she took a kinder opinion of nature.

We had done a long cycle of the beach and were now returning to where Bella and her friends were. I was feeling a little sad. The walk had felt like magic; it wasn't something that I wanted to end.

"Do you have any plans for tomorrow?" I asked Bella; I continued talking when she shook her head. "I was just wondering if you would like to come over to my place?"

I couldn't stop the hope from soaking into my voice; I saw traces of it inside my reflection cast into Bella's soft, warm, brown eyes. For around two seconds, I held my breath.

"Of course." Bella answered.

A dazzling, sparkling smile lit up her features. I couldn't bite back a grin either.

"Awesome." I said and gave her my address.

I had to leave with Quil and Embry but that didn't mean that Bella just evaporated from my mind. For the first time ever, I had found a small spark of longing for something (or someone) apart from my friends or work in the garage. Come to think of it, these two things frequently clashed. Embry was into cars and at times, so was Quil.

"Hello?" Embry said, shoving me in the shoulder. "Hello? Jake? You haven't said a thing since we left the beach. What's up?"

I shook my head before shrugging my shoulders. I saw Quil and Embry shooting anxious looks in my direction; I paid them no attention and allowed them to come up with as crazy an explanation as they liked. I didn't care.

All that mattered was that I would be able to spend a whole day with Bella tomorrow.

Because Bella said 'yes."

**Alice**

_A rusty, old looking truck pulled through the gate of a red house. Brown hair blowing lightly with the ocean breeze, Bella Swan got out and crossed the rocky ground towards the house. She only had to knock on the door twice before it was opened by a man with shoulder length, black hair. He had been expecting her arrival. "Hey Bella!" came a musty voice as another young man (or boy) almost leapt out the door, giving her a bear hug. From down the street, another pair of boys were laughing as they jabbed at the other's ribs._

My eyes refocussed on what was in front of me as I made sense of what I had seen. Bella. Visiting this boy. This boy that I didn't know. In a place that I have never seen.

Somewhere in my instincts, I knew that this was due to happen tomorrow. A rush of disappointment hit me. I had been hoping that I could spend the day with her myself. A few shopping trips could hardly hurt; nor could a little makeover.

"What's wrong?" I asked Jasper as he sat onto the coach next to me and slid an arm around my waist.

Able to feel my emotions; I knew exactly why he was concerned. My....sudden emotional slump.

"It's nothing Jazz." I said as I placed my hands around his neck. "Only that I won't get the chance to spend a little time tomorrow with Bella."

Jasper chuckled. "Well, it obviously takes only a tiny little bit of misfortune to make this freak disappointed."

I tried to slap him but his hands quickly took my own. I pouted and he let me go.

"No more disappointment from you Alice." Jasper said in his deep voice.

"Fine." I responded.


	13. Blooming Flowers

**Please Review! Also if someone has any ideas for Bella and Jacob's relationship, please tell me! I'm open to all suggestions.**

**Disclaimer- I only own the plot.**

**Chapter Thirteen: Blooming Flowers**

**Billy**

Did Jacob use to wake up extra early in the morning and spend his time dancing around the kitchen singing songs at the top of his head? Was Jacob ever so excited that his big smile didn't seem to fit on his head? Did anyone else think that perhaps my son was brainwashed overnight?

Hmm. I had no idea. But, that was what my eyes were witnessing right now.

"Jacob!" I called out as my morning greeting. "In a good mood today?"

"Yep." Jacob yelled back. "Bella's coming over!"

Okay, that explained the high spirits. Jacob had been talking about Bella a lot since he came home yesterday but not once did he mention the upcoming visit. Distracted. Over excited. A string of really great words to describe my son right now. I wondered if Jacob had set a time for her to arrive or whether any random moment would do. Not that it mattered, really; Charlie had bought the old truck for her and that thing was really loud.

Jacob had cooked a light breakfast of the classic bacon and eggs. I raised my eyebrows. Sure, Bella was coming over but was it normal for a kid to be totally different?

But, if Jake was happy, I would be delighted too.

Breakfast was silent. I made a couple of loose mentions about some of the issues in the paper and good weather for fishing; however, Jacob just nodded. He could have passed as a statue if it weren't for the broad smile and sparkling eyes.

Soon, I heard the rumbling and growling of the truck. Bella's truck. Having owned the thing for years, I would recognize its sound anywhere. I watched as Jacob jumped up a foot and blushed deep red. I was amused as I rolled myself towards the front door. A corner of my wheelchair brushed along some of the paint job but that wasn't my primary concern. I waited.

**Bella**

So, this was Jacob's house? I briefly recalled my visits to the reservation throughout my youth but my flashed included time spent with the sisters. I had no memories of the interior. I had never seen the dull red paint job or the patches of newly blooming flowers.

I got out of the truck, closing the door behind me. I started to walk towards the front door, nearly stumbling on the hard, uneven surface. I shuddered slightly as a breeze hit me. I knocked twice before the door was opened by a man in a wheelchair. I knew him to be Billy Black.

"Hey Bella!" Jacob shouted from within the house.

He appeared down the hallway and sidestepped Billy with ease. He wrapped his arms around me and gave me the biggest bear hug that I had ever remembered getting. It was sudden and choked the air out of me. I gasped loudly and he released me, ushering me graciously into the house. As Billy closed the door behind us, I was almost certain that I heard laughter from somewhere down the road.

The door shut and I welcomed the absence of chilly wind.

"My room's this way." said Jacob as he led the way.

Jacob's bedroom was pleasant and rather nice. There was a large window which let in a bit of light. His bed was messy with a third of the covers toppling to the floor. Jake's desk included piles of paper as well as some pens scattered along the table. I pulled at the chair there, and sat down.

"Your room's rather nice." I complimented him as my eyes scanned the walls. "It's warm and looks really naturally."

"Thanks Bella." Jake said. "But it's a little messy and yeah."

I surveyed the room again. There were places where stray laundry dangled randomly and in the way but apart from that Jake's bedroom was moderately clean. I felt my cheeks grow hot. My own room was already unkempt; sometimes, it would take more than the average few minutes to get a pair of socks.

"Don't worry about it." I told Jacob. "If your room's messy then mine must be a disaster zone. Mass destruction. A nightmare."

Jacob chuckled and sat on the bed. He beckoned me to sit beside him; I complied, feeling quite comfortable despite his big frame.

I could see myself having a lot of fun today.

**Edward**

I didn't know where she was; for some reason Alice was hiding the very thing she knew but I wanted. I felt a need to protect her; and yes, from more than just the bloody temptations of a vampire. I felt a need to be close to her; to see her face, her warm eyes, her luscious hair. I felt a need to stay far away from her; she had to be safe on all counts.

"Edward!" came a scream as Jasper charged in through my bedroom door. "Will you please stop being so conflicted? It's driving me crazy!"

"It really is" Alice sang as she danced inside, behind him. "You're really lucky that you haven't had to put up with this guy all afternoon. What's on your mind?"

I didn't know how to answer but I didn't actually need to. My adopted sister was scanning at my future. She frowned. I was reading her mind and thereby saw the fleeting flashes of the future. Things were hard to make out. I could see my face clearly in one part of a vision; and the next, I was blurry as though somebody had fiddled with the resolution. There were other scenes too that flashed from Alice's mind. Four men as they chased a girl down a dark alley. A pair of people arguing as they flexed their fingertips. But, there was always a face.

The face of Bella Swan. Happy. Sad. Pleased. Angry. Sometimes she was being seen from a distance. Sometimes she was extremely close. But, she was blurred. Like everything else that Alice had seen and saw, she was blurred.

This blur was my future.

_There's been more. _Alice was admitting with her thoughts while Jasper looked on curiously. _Every time I try to get a glimpse of your future, something has changed. The images too have changed, in terms of their quality. With you, I have no way of knowing what will happen, even if it is only a couple of hours in advance. There are only half a million possibilities as to what could occur. There is only one explanation for this, Edward. Something about you is changing. Your life is at crossroads."_

I couldn't snort; not when the things that Alice was saying appeared to make sense. I couldn't nod and smile either; I didn't want this crazed, unpredictable future to come true.

"You do realise that you sound like a bogus gypsy at a carnival now, right?" I laughed grimly.

Alice's response was only to poke her tongue out at me. Grabbing Jasper's hand, she began to drag the two of them out of my room.

"Wait, just one thing." Alice said, as her head came into sight once more, "There'll be a decent thunderstorm tonight and Emmett's all for playing ball. Are you coming?"

I considered the question. "Sure, why not?"

Alice left. That left me back into my deep thinking. Bella's face appeared before my eyes. I found myself unable to stop thinking about her and what she was doing at the moment. It was actually a good thing to have a nice, healthy, competitive game of ball tonight. I needed a distraction; my near obsession was no good.

Maybe Alice was right and my path was at cross roads. Maybe Alice was right and there was a change in me.

**Bella**

Time was effortless and easy with Jacob. We could start one conversation which would seamlessly flow into another topic open for discussion. We had been going on for absolute hours. To others, I may have felt awkward about the extensive talking but Jake was different. He could be compared to Angela Weber. Kind, sensitive and caring.

This was probably the primary reason why I had not felt the time passing by. As I glanced out the window, I noticed that it was sunset. I realised that I _needed _to hurry home in order to get dinner done for Charlie. Needed not wanted. I would have been unbelievably joyous to just stay with Jacob. And, Billy was really nice too.

"I really need to leave now." I told Jacob unwillingly. "I need to go cook dinner for Charlie."

Jacob laughed a little and then winked at him.

"Why don't you just call him and invite him to come over here?" Jake chuckled. "Billy would be thrilled and honestly, I don't mind. Your dad is cool."

Well, that suggestion was easy enough and simple. I rang Charlie up from work; he was surprised but sounded mildly excited about the prospect. Cheerful, I returned myself to Jacob's room. We were talking some more until Charlie arrived and we ate an improvised meal of fried fish.

I had never been very picky about my food; however, I had to try immensely hard to get a good serve down. Hopefully, I did not hurt anybody's feelings.

Billy and Charlie were gossiping like women in a hairdressing salon; this implied that my lack of appetite should have gone unnoticed.

This place was feeling fabulous. A sensation of colourful flowers blooming built up in my heart. I wouldn't consider Jacob's place as my home but I perceived it as a refuge. A place where I could go and felt as though I truly belonged.

A place where I was accepted.


	14. Protective

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**Disclaimer- All characters and locations are property of Stephenie Meyer.**

**Chapter Fourteen: Protective**

**Jasper**

If I thought that a game of baseball would help get Edward out of his gloomy, conflicted mood then I was wrong. For the entire time, he was looking distracted. The family's gaze would flicker towards him constantly, trying to figure out what was playing on his mind. Esme and Carlisle were concerned for him; on the other hand Emmett and Rose thought that he was just being difficult.

I knew better. Edward's emotions were chaotic. Protection. Fascination. Hope. Despair. Inspiration. Failure. Determination. Will.

Alice had told me about what she saw for our 'brother's' future. Apparently, fate was uncertain and he was at a series of crossroads. My only idea was that perhaps Edward had found his soul mate. The only question now was, who?

I had the feeling that perhaps Alice knew or had the faintest idea who she was. However, I was not one to be inconsiderate and pry. The future was never set in stone; just one tiny decision could cause a shift.

Either way, Edward was going to drive me crazy.

It was Monday morning and we were in the Volvo, speeding down the highways on the way to school. It was mildly annoying. I was sitting at the back with Emmett and Rosalie who were in the process of making out. I could have been alright with that on a normal day but Edward's emotions were making more frustrated.

_Calm down Jasper. Calm down. _I instructed myself.

The moment the car stopped in the parking lot, I opened the door and got out. A taste of happiness and at the same time a bit of weariness met my senses. It appeared that today would be an ordinary school day. Minus Edward's brooding mood, of course. I wondered how he would affect the people around him.

**Edward**

Bella had already arrived when I walked inside the lab for Biology. She was speaking to Angela Weber about somebody called Jacob Black. The name rang a bell but at the moment, I could not place it. I sat down at the table. Watching, I saw a blush creep up her face as Angela commented on something that I had not cared to listen to.

I was glad that my thirst was safely under control. No. I would not allow myself to be a menace towards her. No. Of all the things that could be dangerous to a human being, I was not going to let me vampire instincts get the better of me. I wanted to protect Bella.

At that moment, Mr Banner entered the classroom and a silence fell. Bella moved into her seat; she gave me a deep nod and that was it. Well, it looked as though somebody was in the mood for ignoring me. Mr Banner was going on and lecturing the whole time, so I never had the chance to start a conversation.

The bell rang.

"I'll see you around." she told me as she started to walk towards her next class with Mike.

I packed my things really slowly. Even for a human, I was crawling at a snail's pace. Why? Well, right now, I couldn't even comprehend myself. Was my head making sense after all? Was I really jealous about Newton? I didn't remember having any of these emotions before. My family were on fairly good terms with his own. We frequently bought camping gear from their store; we had no use for it but the equipment helped flesh out the human facade.

I had no idea at all.

This would be the brilliant time where Jasper could assist me, except for the fact that he wasn't here. I sighed; Mr Banner was starting to get worrying thoughts about my awful stillness and I relaxed suddenly. The thoughts of approaching seniors made my head snap up. If I remained her for too much longer, I was going to start getting suspicious. With a quiet mutter to my teacher (although my knowledge probably exceeded his own) I left for my next lesson.

I didn't pay attention to anybody during the day only answering a few questions when my mind reading head notified me to do so. I could hardly be described as a zombie; to the average human mind, I may have looked the same as usual.

Jasper wasn't so easy to convince. As I was staring in the direction of Bella Swan and her friends, a leg kicked at my chair. It was Jasper. Of course.

_Edward. What's going on with you? You're emotions are a whooping mess! _I caught my very own mood readings from his head. _I can't even tell how you're truly feeling. Not a good sign for an empath, like me. But, sometimes, your mood flickers so fast or combines in the most unnatural way. _Jasper's judgement gave me something else to think about.

I already was aware that my mood was conflicted. Jasper had complained about that so often and I myself was forced to admit it.

The question was, why?

Why did Bella Swan have to come along and totally reshuffle my simple way of life?

Why did I get the sudden urge to protect her? From all dangers, large and small?

Why did I find myself unable to think of anything else? Why had in the space of just a few days everything changed? Why? Why? WHY?

**Jessica**

I was feeling hopeful. Today, at lunch Bella had admitted that she was sort of dating Jacob Black, a kid from the reservation at La Push. This was a great sign for me.

I hoped that Mike would lose interest in Bella now that she was kind of going out with somebody else. I hoped that he would start noticing me more often. Like, I was pretty, wasn't I? And, I was popular as well as among his friends? How could he not notice me? I was the best friend of Lauren Malory; she was undoubtedly the hottest girl in our year.

I deduced that Mike had just been sidetracked by Bella's arrival. She was just like a shiny, new toy. Once all the big enthusiasm had died away, the interest would be directed back to where it had laid formally. I had known Mike for many years; he was an extremely good friend.

There was a school dance coming up soon in March. I was hoping for a chance to ask Mike. With Bella being sort of in a relationship, I was fairly sure that she wouldn't be asking my ideal date. However, would Mike be willing to go with me? He was very proud at times and would not relent very easily. I scowled. This could be bad if he tried to claim Bella. However, even boys like Mike changed when the girl they wanted was out of reach.

Looks as though I had an even chance should I ask Mike to the dance.

I sighed. Even wasn't good enough for Jessica Stanley. I wanted to be sure. But, if I couldn't get Mike, I'd still want to go to the dance, right? Yes. This meant that I would need to consider somebody else. I would not mind going with Tyler but it was Lauren who fancied him, not me.

If Bella had been out of the picture, securing Mike would have been so easy.

But now, I had to compete with her for his attention.

**Edward**

If any of my family were to see me right now, they would think that I had gone totally mad. Then again, I wasn't too sure that I was sane either. For instance, why was I sitting in a tree?

My only thought was; I needed to protect Bella and make sure that even in her sleep she was safe.

So, here I was. Thinking that I was not mentally sound. Sitting in a tree. Staring through a window. Watching as the most beautiful human girl that I had ever seen rolling about in her bed. I was transfixed. My heart had not beaten in nearly a hundred years but as I watched, it seemed to come alive. What was first a simple desire to protect had become something bigger.

Fascination.

I opened Bella's bedroom window, taking care because it was quite stuck. I would have to bring oil the next time I came.

I stopped. Next time? Was there even going to be a next time?

My dead unbeating heart appeared to hold the answer for my mind did not need to ponder. Yes. I would. I would come every night and watch as Bella Swan slept. She was precious and fragile.

My angel.


	15. Secrets and Lies

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**Disclaimer- Stephenie Meyer came up with the locations, characters and mythology. I only came up with this plotline.**

**Chapter Fifteen: Secrets and Lies**

**Alice**

Edward got back late last night; he offered no explanation as to why and that worried Esme. I searched his future but only succeeded in finding the distorted images of confusing, hidden decisions.

But, one thing could be certain. I did not require Jasper's ability to notice that Edward was much happier and calm; a smile was playing at the edges of his lips. His good mood was also made evident when he sat down at the piano and began to play a new tune.

Since Bella's arrival at Forks and Edward's subsequent departure, this was the first time Edward had played. I listened as Rosalie threw a wrench into the floor of the garage; I heard the slow creaking of a floorboard as Esme sat down to enjoy the tunes. Jasper put his arm around me as we both started to listen to our brother's new composition.

The music was incredibly sweet. It was a grand masterpiece. The notes connected with a soothing flow, combined with a light staccato. The complexity of the piece was invigorating as a syncopated rhythm danced around broken chords. As a vampire, I could not sleep but listening to Edward play was like having a dream.

The dream ended abruptly; Edward was laughing. A low growl could be heard from the garage as some other tool was tossed away.

Esme appeared down the stairs and was by Edward in a second.

"Edward, please keep playing." She begged, leaning casually against the side of the piano.

Immediately, Edward's fingers were arranging themselves onto the black and white keys. The tune began where it had been left off. It was easy to see the path that the music would take. It sounded like the narrative tale of a turbulent love relationship. A beginning, a climax and an ending. Predictable, yet at the same time a call for daring mysteries and complications.

I walked towards the piano. Usually I would flit or skip but tonight, it felt reasonable to go slowly; this was a powerful moment for Edward. Being mean would be to wreck it.

Catching the flow of the melody, I began to add my own improvised harmony; I was singing one and a half to two octaves above the piano pitch. This was the way we were. We went through the entire duration of Edward's composition and as the last note (a beautiful chord) was played, the Cullen house was silent.

"That was absolutely beautiful." Esme said. "Does it have a name?"

Esme looked as though she would be crying, if she could. I probably was looking the same way. The sheer beauty and passion of the song was beyond anything describable.

Everybody in the room turned to Edward.

"Not yet." Edward admitted.

There was hesitancy in his tone and it was obvious. Edward appeared to be looking for a distraction.

"I'm going to hunt." Edward said as he got up and basically walked through the door.

And that was it for Edward's piano playing. At least it was a brilliant piece, making up for the long abscence of music suffered in the Cullen home. With a slight shrug, I left with Jasper to go upstairs. Esme followed; she had been sorting out some new blueprints.

Edward arrived back at home half an hour before we were due to leave for school. Rosalie was instantly pissed off; she had gotten her hopes up about driving the convertible today. Oh well Rose, the day will come some day. At least, she was happy about the snow.

We got to school at the usual time. Even the thick snow, ice and sleet couldn't slow us down. I was glancing across the carpark, watching as Bella bent down to inspect something on her tires. No doubt, snow chains. I watched as Mike Newton walked the eight or nine cars between myself and her to have a conversation; behind me, Jasper and Edward were trying to stop Rosalie from causing too much attention. She was snapping at Emmett; he had said something slightly wrong.

I turned around to assess the situation. When my vision changed.

_A navy blue van swerved around the sharp corner, sliding on the ice. Suddenly, the driver was losing control; his expression was horrified as the van charged, unstoppable towards Isabella Swan. She had nowhere to run; her truck was blocking any space for escape. She closed her eyes as the van made a huge impact. Blood everywhere. Screaming. Chaos._

My eyes refocused as I gasped.

**Edward**

"No." Alice moaned, panic dancing in her golden eyes. "Bella."

I quickly scanned her thoughts and I quickly began to panic too. Not her! Not her! NOT HER!

Jasper was looking from his wife to I; his gift had allowed to sense the sudden panic and horror. However, there was no way for him to know why. I had no time to explain. The van was already hurtling off course. The driver, Tyler Crowley's thoughts were hastily trying to steer his vehicle away.

And Bella was on the direct course. Eyes wide and mouth open, she was terrified.

No. I would not allow it. Not Bella.

And at that, I took off. I could save her. As long as nobody else noticed, I could feed her with lies later.

"Oh." Alice said, as her vision changed.

However, I could not pay attention to that now. I was moving so quickly that no human had a chance to see more than the blur of blue coats and white skin. I had a few seconds to spare. Bella had closed her eyes.

As I leapt, I grabbed her from around the waist, moving too fast to be as gentle as I should have been. As I brought her to the floor, I was more aware than ever of her fragile, human body as well as the warm blood coursing through her veins.

When her head cracked against the cold ice, I felt as though I had turned to ice too.

However, even as a vampire, I had no time to check on her condition. Stupid Tyler Crowley's van was coming too fast. It hit the corner of Bella's truck but the metal was twisting and turning. It was still coming towards us, as though Bella was some kind of a danger magnet.

My hand jumped out to meet it. I left a huge dent, or a small crater near the rear door. Creating momentum, I pushed the van backwards so that the rear tyre did not fall and crush her legs.

In the moment I knew that Bella would be safe, that she wouldn't become a bloody mess today, the risk I had taken crashed down onto me. It wans't just about me; it was about my entire family. In my rescue attempt, I had not been completely oblivious to the fact- just ignoring it. But, now I had to worry.

How much had Bella seen? How much had others seen? How big was the threat?

The biggest threat.

Exposure.

As I gazed into Bella's eyes, I could tell that she had seen way too much; her brown irises showed understanding and surprise. As much as I wanted not to, I would have to tell her a series of lies.

But, I didn't want to worry about that just yet. First, I had to make sure she was alright. That I hadn't killed or injured her in my impromptu attempt at a rescue.

**Bella**

I was not hallucinating. And no, I was not dead.

I knew what I had seen. Edward Cullen had been standing near his car; the family appeared to be having some sort of quarrel. Then, the van, driven by Tyler Crowley from my government class turned the corner and began its path of destruction towards me. In the last few seconds, Edward appeared. He practically shoved me to the ground and forced the van away.

Forced all the weight away as though it was nothing.

"Bella? Are you alright?" he asked urgently.

"I'm fine" I answered; I wasn't thinking really, I was still trying to figure out how the hell Edward had managed to save me.

I started to sit up but Edward grabbed onto my arm. I shivered. The weather was cold today but there was absolutely no reason why his hand should feel like a block of ice.

"Careful." Edward warned. "I think you hit your head pretty hard."

"Ouch." I winced as I was forced to acknowledge that he was right.

"Thought so." chuckled Edward as I narrowed my eyes. There was nothing very humourous right now.

"How did you get here so fast?" I ask, almost making it a demand.

I noticed as his face hardened and his eyes began to tense. Edward really looked like a rock formation. His voive was light and persuasive as he answered.

"I was standing right beside you, Bella." was the answer. "I pulled you out of the way."

A lie. His face may have been confident with no signs of uncertainty; however, words could never outdo the truth. Edward was nowhere near me. He had been, maybe ten cars away; Edward had been with the rest of his family, standing not far from the Volvo. I was absolutely certain. Alice had been there too.

"Please Bella." Edward was pleading now.

My lack of belief at his lanky explanation must have shown up on my face. I wanted to snap at him; I wanted to yell about how he could have saved my life in this crazy fashion and expect me to forget and keep it a secret. But, the pure antagonising desperation on his face stopped me. I could hear the screams from others as they tried to work out what had actually happened.

"You _will _tell me." I almost growled through my teeth. "Later."

His eyes burned with an inner fire. When Edward finally drew a deep breath, his response was like a retort.

"Fine" he spat.

"Fine." I said in a similar manner.

Students, teachers and good knows who else were trying to shift the van far enough to bring the stretchers in. An ambulance was also arriving onto the grounds. I wanted to sigh with exasperation at the unnecessary attention but I was still fuming from the lies of the one crouched down next to me. After a struggle, a wide enough gap was made.

A young nurse, probably from Forks High School began to speak. "Edward? You okay?"

"I'm fine." Edward responded immediately. "But I think Bella here may have a concussion or fracture. She really hit her head hard when I had to yank her out of the way."

I glared at him; a furious glare of betrayal. Who was he to tell lies about me? About my condition. About his involvement. As the EMTs brought me out and (I cringed) forced me into a neck brace, I watched as Edward refused his. In a tiny motion, so fast that most people would have missed or disregarded it, he fixed the hand shape dent in Tyler's van.

Where the supernatural strength came from, I did not know.

What did I know?

Edward Cullen was lying to me. Lying about a huge secret.


	16. The Doctor

**I'm really sorry for the long wait and this chapter isn't particularly good. :| Still, reviews would be awesome.**

**Disclaimer- Stephenie Meyer's stuff, not mine. Lols, I found Midnight Sun to be a really useful tool.**

**Chapter Sixteen: The Doctor**

**Carlisle**

Paperwork was boring. The general content of everything remained the same; it was merely the alterations of personal details, condition and surgery required that was of any importance. I was immensely grateful for my vampire speed. Clearing the pile and signing my name was a much more efficient process.

I put the finished stack to one side when I heard some hurried footsteps down the hall. They were too light and elegant to be a human. I was right. The visitor was none other than my son, Edward. I was alarmed as he entered my office without knocking.

There was a panic in his eyes; a panic that I could not place unless………

"You didn't" I gasped, leaning forward.

I may not have met Isabella Swan yet, but that would not stop me from feeling exceptionally guilty if….the unthinkable were to occur.

"No, no it's not that." Edward said immediately.

I looked up into his eyes. They were still warm and golden; no trace of red; no tasting of human blood. I took a deep breath.

"She's hurt though. Probably not too seriously. But, Carlisle..."

Edward's voice trailed off and I was still confused. What happened?

"A stupid car accident. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I was nowhere near her but I couldn't just stand there and do nothing. Can't just let the thing crush her."

Edward was shaking his head. Probably recalling memories of the accident but I was still confused.

"Start over." I said. "I don't understand. How were you involved?"

I listened as the tale unfolded. The story of a van skidding across the slippery ice where Bella Swan was in the way. The section when Alice had a vision and Edward ran across the parking lot and shoved her out of the way. The part where Bella was the only person to have seen the truth; that there was something unusual about the way Edward had saved the situation.

"I'm sorry, Carlisle." Edward was apologising. "I didn't mean to put us all in danger."

I walked around the table and placed my hand on his shoulder.

"You did the right thing. And it couldn't have been easy for you." I said truthfully. "Edward, I'm proud of you."

Bella had not told anyone her version of events yet; at the moment, my family were not in danger of exposure. So now, my first priority was to check out my new patient.

**Bella**

"I'm so sorry Bella! I'm sorry!" Tyler was shouting from the bed next to me.

I gritted my teeth; soon, he was going to drive me insane. Accepting his apologies, feigning sleep or ignoring him were all in vain. Tyler Crowley just didn't have the decency to shut up. I was thinking, would Jacob ever be like that to me? I could only hope that the answer was no.

However, Tyler was not the only thing occupying thoughts. I was wondering about Edward. He had a secret and I knew it. What else could allow an ordinary being to have strength that shoved vans around? How else could have a human run so quickly that he could dash across a parking lot in about a second?

One half of me was speculative. The other, was seriously annoyed. Wouldn't it make sense that after having my life saved I deserved to know _why _it happened? Edward Cullen could hardly expect me to pretend (even to myself) what actually happened didn't.

My silent musings were interrupted when somebody entered the ward. I looked up and my jaw snapped open. I had to work extremely hard to keep it shut. All very embarrassing.

The man who entered had a beautiful, blonde hair. He was handsome; his facial expression was a combination of concern and kindness. With pale skin and the same golden eyes I had noticed on both Alice and Edward, I deduced that this had to be their father. The doctor. I remembered his name. Jessica had told me on my very first day. Carlisle Cullen. Ahem. _Doctor _Carlisle Cullen.

Suddenly, I had a hunch about my theories. A hunch about a secret not only belonging to Edward but the entire family as well. I recalled the image of the Cullens at their table. I remembered noticing how they all had very angular noses, shadows under their eyes; but, most important the same shades of peculiar golden eyes.

"So Miss Swan, how are you feeling?" he asked, peering down at a clipboard.

"I'm fine" I responded immediately.

"Your x-rays look pretty good." The doctor continued. "Does your head hurt? Edward said that you hit your head rather hard."

"I'm fine" I repeated myself; I was now glowering at Edward.

Looks like somebody was trying to tell the entire town that I had permanent brain damage. Brilliant. Just great. Didn't help my impatience that I knew better than that.

"Sounds like you are very lucky, from what I've heard." Doctor Cullen murmured.

Oh yes. My mood was going down the toilet.

"Yes." I said, turning my face to stare at Edward with hard eyes. "Lucky that Edward happened to be standing right next to me."

My anger boiled just a little overboard towards the end. I had never been a good liar and I didn't like telling falsehoods for absolutely no reason.

"Oh well, yes" he agreed promptly.

I caught the short glance between the two of them. My theory had been confirmed. The doctor was in on the secret; I was right. Carlisle Cullen signed my chart allowing me to go. However, as I swung my legs around and attempted to get up, my foot managed to get tangled around the bed sheets.

Off balance with forward motion, clumsy Bella toppled straight into the arms of the doctor. I could feel my cheeks heating up. However, this new embarrassment did not stop me from noticing that his torso was quite hard. It didn't feel very normal; as a matter of a fact, the texture reminded me or marble.

Marble.

Human skin did not feel like marble. So, did this mean that Edward Cullen and his family were _not _human?

**Jacob**

I was extremely nervous as I sat in the kitchen, staring at the phone. I waited and waited and waited. Every loud beat of the clock made me increasingly agitated; my father, in the lounge was being of no assistance.

While Charlie was at the hospital, he had given me a call to inform me about the accident this morning. The one where Bella had nearly been crushed by an out of control van. Apparently, she wasn't badly hurt but had to be checked out properly for concussion and head injuries.

Come on! Stupid phone, why won't it start ringing?

If only Billy had permitted me to go down to Forks and see her; I would probably be much more at ease. Then again, my father was superstitious. He believed in the old tribal stories; tales that I believed to be false. Well, he and the rest of the community anyway.

The phone rang and I jumped to pick it up.

"Hello?" I said rather breathlessly.

"Hey Jake, its Bella." Bella's beautiful voice sang out from the receiver. "Sorry, I would have called you the second I got home but I had to text back Alice."

I tried not to sound too irritated that Bella's call had been delayed. I made sure that she was alright before inviting Bella to come over to my place after school tomorrow. I smiled as I recognised the obvious joy in her tone. Bella happy meant that I was happy too.

**I know I've written better chapters but still......Review?**


	17. Time

**Please read and review!**

**Chapter Seventeen: Time**

**Rosalie**

I was glad that Emmett was holding onto me tightly when Edward returned home with Carlisle. Otherwise, I may have lunged and ended with a vicious fight against Edward. A fight with odds not in my favour.

I could have shouted at him but I had known Edward for long enough to realise that there was a better, more effective way to get something into his head. Be literal. Shout out mentally. Of which, I did.

Edward! You bastard! How could you be so stupid to reveal yourself like that? Does the family mean nothing at all to you? Are we nobodies? How could you have exposed us for who we truly are? If that human girl were to tell a soul about us, we're screwed. Do you want the Volturi to come knocking on our front doorstep?

My mental rant didn't last long before I found myself necessary to yell out loud.

"This isn't just about you Edward! This is about the whole family!" I cried out.

"Rosalie, calm down." Said Carlisle in his authoritive voice.

Almost on cue, I felt a wave of calm come over me. Time and experience had allowed me to learn not to resist these alien emotions; they always would end up winning. However, I could not help but glare at Jasper. He did not even have the decency to look apologetic.

I wriggled myself free from my husband and stormed upstairs.

"Just let her go" I heard Edward say to Emmett.

I fumed so more. Who was Edward to know?

**Bella**

The weekend had arrived; however, the crazy accident and Edward's rescue stunt had not faded from my mind. Spending time with my new best friend, Alice had given me a comprehensive list as to what was different about the Cullen family.

They had changing eye colours; sometimes golden and at other times, a deep black. Their skin was cold, icy, pale and hard like marble. They had unbelievable strength and speed. They never ate. Oh, and Alice was always extremely exact with the time and appeared to be able to see things before they actually occurred. Suspicious, much?

However, I was prepared to wait. Only time would grant an answer.

Today was Saturday and I had agreed to go shopping with Alice (after she pouted for over half an hour). It was probably one of the worst mistakes I had made; Alice was crazy about fashion. I would go into the changerooms to try something on. The moment I stepped out, Alice would make a recommendation before throwing some other garment at me. Very fast.

I grumbled as she bought me more clothes than I would have gotten myself in a month and charged the enormous bill to her family's bank account. I found myself thinking; how rich were there?

_Very rich. _The stupid voice in my head answered. I had seen their fancy cars and the big brand ways that they dressed. And, Alice's idea of a 'small' shopping trip also painted a very good picture.

I was actually glad when we ran out of time.

I had the scary feeling that all the new clothes wouldn't fit into my closet. However, Alice was insistent. In fact, she ended up going through all my existing clothes and sorting them out; a whole bunch of 'unacceptable for every occasion imaginable clothes' were thrown away. Honestly, I was liking Alice and just let her have her own way.

I watched as she rearranged everything; clothes became sorted by colour, fabric and patterns. Alice was finished so quickly that I was momentarily stunned. Then again, her speed was nothing to the tremendous pace Edward had shown on the day of the accident.

"Well!" Alice exclaimed. "What do you think?"

Okay, amazing. I was fairly certain that my wardrobe had not grown any bigger; just more clothes packed inside.

Crazy, yet believable.

**Esme**

Edward went back to watch Bella sleep that night. I found the thought rather nice and romantic; I truly hoped that Bella Swan could be Edward's mate. She sounded like such a lovely girl. Carlisle had already met her at the hospital; my husband described her as slightly stubborn but mentally strong with a beautiful personality.

It had been too long that I had seen Edward be alone. In a house of three perfectly matched vampire pairs, Edward had sometimes felt lonely or left out.

I would do anything to change that. I hoped Bella would be the one for him.

Carlisle was working a night shift at the hospital and I was just taking a look at a home improvement magazine. Emmett and Rosalie were in their room; noisy as always, I tried to ignore them. Jasper and Alice were downstairs. I could not be sure but I thought that they were playing a video game of some sort.

There was nothing too strange about what was going on so I was able to read undisturbed. However, there were no tips that interested me. Everything included, I had either already done or was such a stupid idea that I would be silly to try them. After all, I was not going to get a dog. The mess and smell would make my family all but kick the animal out of the house.

However, like most silences in the Cullen house; this one wouldn't last.

Emmett and Rosalie were yelling. With a slight groan, I abandoned my chair in order to deal with whatever conflict had happened. I slid down the stairs.

Emmett was wearing a pair of boxers while Rose was dressed only in a designer, French dressing gown. They were both staring daggers at Jasper and Alice who were laughing; the game on the television screen had been paused. Immediately, I had a rather good idea as to what had happened. Jasper, meddling with the emotions of others.

"Sorry mum" Jasper apologised, realising that I knew.

I just shook my head in exasperation and went back upstairs. Maybe a garden care magazine would provide more interesting details.

**Bella**

I really hoped that I was right and that stupid Edward Cullen had not appeared in my dreams. That was the last thing I needed today.

=Flashback=

I woke up; the sound of something hitting timber had pulled me out of the sweet clutches of sleep. I had to blink a couple of times but there, in my room, not far from my desk, was Edward Cullen. I closed my eyes for three seconds before opening them again. He was gone.

I looked to the left. My bedroom window was wide open even though I clearly recalled shutting it before I went to sleep during the night.

=End Flashback=

So here were two possibilities. One, I was dreaming about Edward. The mere thought of such a thing made me stomach churn; I wanted to vomit. Two, for some crazy reasons, he was in my room last night. That thought also made me feel like puking. Who was he? Some kind of demented stalker?

I huffed. This was great. Not only did Edward bug me by lying about gigantic truths, being rude, running off and good knows what else; he also had limited respect for my home and privacy. Brilliant!

I tried to rid those thoughts out of my head over breakfast.

Jacob and I had arranged another 'date.' He wanted to introduce some of his friends from the reservation to me and I was fine with that. I arrived in my truck and the huge engine was the thing that greeted my boyfriend. (Yep, I was going to have to start getting used to the word).

"Hey Bella!" Jacob greeted me before enveloping me in a hug; a hug which I returned without hesitation.

"Hi Jake!" I said in a similar tone. "You've grown!"

I could have sworn that he was a little taller and broader than the last time I had given him a hug. Jacob merely shrugged; I decided to let it go. Probably just a late in life growth spurt. Yeah, that made sense.

"Quil and Embry are meeting us on the beach. Sam might be there too; it depends on whether Emily's found another thing for him to fix in their house or not." Jacob explained.

I smiled warmly; I loved the beaches here. The pristine sand and cool waves of water took my breath away. The interesting rock forms and loose seaweed always made me giggle. Three boys were waiting for us; they began to wave in synchronisation when Jake and I descended into view.

I waved too. But shyly.

**Any bets on what's going to happen next?**


	18. The Golden Eyes

**Straight forward chapter. Read and review!**

**Chapter Eighteen: The Golden Eyes**

**Bella**

Quil Ateara was the one with the rounder face. His hair was short and curly in three different shades of light brown. Embry Call was taller and thinner. His face was more angled and he had dark shoulder length hair. Sam Uley was definitely the oldest. He had a large, muscular body, cropped hair and deep ideas.

I found them funny and amusing to hang around. However, as they moved into talks about cars, I was totally lost. I had never been much of a car fanatic or a mechanic.

I looked at the beach once more. There was a ring of charm about it even though everything was so simple. I chuckled; this would be the type of place to bring Alice. I could picture it in my head. _"See Alice? You don't need things to be complex for them to be beautiful! Simple's good. _I chuckled again.

"What are you laughing at?" Embry asked me; Jake and the two others also appeared curious.

"I was just considering bringing my friend, Alice Cullen here." I explained with a small shrug. "This place is so simple, yet beautiful. Alice could really learn a thing or two about that."

"You mean Doctor Cullen's daughter?" Sam asked me; I could see a little bit of wariness in his eyes.

"Yes" I replied quickly. "Do you know them?"

"The Cullens don't come here." Sam stated flatly; it was obvious from the hard mask on his face that the conversation had closed.

Quil, Embry and my Jacob were a little bit stunned at the sudden anticlimactic nature of the conversation. However, none showed any signs of being confused. I thought about what Sam had said and recognised the double meaning behind the words. 'The Cullens don't come here.' Something convinced me that this wasn't a mere case of hating nature. Sam's tone had implied that the Cullens were not _allowed _to be here.

Very, very odd. I made a mental note to ask Jacob about it later. When we were alone.

"Emily's waiting for me" Sam said hastily; he excused himself and left.

I wasn't a natural liar myself; I just happened to be fairly good at spotting the obvious falsehoods. Sam Uley had not been telling the truth about Emily. I glanced at my boyfriend (flinching mentally), hoping that he would come up with an explanation. Jacob shrugged.

The four of us continued to talk and make jokes but it was clear that the conversation had lost momentum. In the space of just thirty minutes, both Quil and Embry had departed their separate ways and Jake had offered for us to go back up to his house. I nodded; there would be fewer things to get sidetracked on when two people were confined by four walls.

After getting a drink of water, Jake and I went over to his room. Billy was nowhere to be found; this was good.

I cleared my throat and began to speak.

**Jacob**

Bella coughed and I immediately noticed that she appeared a little nervous, almost as though something big had entered her mind. My heart thumped; had she noticed Sam's comment about the Cullens? Likely, but had she interpreted the true intentions behind his words? In the time that I had known her; Bella was an extremely perceptive and stubborn person. I would be startled if she didn't at least have a few hunches on what had occurred.

I grimaced. The tribe's legends were believed and accepted by most of the residents of the reservation; I was one of the exceptions. I knew each story by heart but to me; they were nothing more than stories. Stories passed from generation down to generation; stories for entertainment.

Bella was still stammering until she finally pulled a cohesive sentence.

"Jake" she began, hesitating. "On the beach, what exactly was Sam saying about the Cullens? It sounded as though they weren't _allowed _to come to La Push. It all seems really odd. Why? Why are they not allowed here?"

I moaned internally. This was not a conversation that I had either expected or wanted. I was bound to not say a thing, even if this thing was against my mindset.

"Do you like scary stories?" I asked her, stalling for time.

"I love them." Bella answered.

My mind was made up. If Bella really wanted to know, then I would tell her everything from the beginning to the more recent developments. There was no way that I could deny that earnest, hopeful expression. No way; never to my Bella. Okay, I was going to tell her about the Quileute legend of werewolves and vampires. Stupid legends; I thought internally.

Watching her reaction carefully, I began.

**(A/N Jacob's story is taken almost completely out of Twilight. No copyright infringements intended.)**

"Well, there is a Quileute legend that claims we are descended from wolves and that the wolves are our brothers still; it is against tribal law to kill them." I began. "And then there are the stories about the cold ones."

I paused and noticed that Bella looked dreamy and fascinated.

"The cold ones?" she repeated with awe.

"Yes." I continued. "There are stories of the cold ones that are as old as the wolf legends, and some much more recent. According to legend, my own great grandfather knew some of them. He was the tribal leader, Ephraim Black, like my father is. You see, the cold ones are the natural enemies of the wolf. Well, not the wolf really but the wolves that could turn into men, like our ancestors. You would call them werewolves."

"Werewolves have enemies?" Bella asked with curious admiration.

"Only one." I said; Bella stared at me earnestly, prodding me to continue.

"You see" I explained. "The cold ones are traditionally our enemies but this pack that came to our territory during my great grandfather's time. They were different. They didn't hunt the way others of their kind did; they weren't supposed to be dangerous to the tribe. So, my great grandfather made a truce with them. If they stayed off our lands, we wouldn't expose them to the humans."

I winked.

"But, if they weren't dangerous, then why?" Bella was desperate for more information; her face was lit up like a little child's when they received a new toy.

"There's always a risk for humans to be around the cold ones even if they were as civilised as this clan was. You never know when they might get too hungry to resist." I said, laughing.

Okay, the ordinary person hearing this story probably wouldn't be giggling. However, I just had to admit that Quileute legends were plain silly.

"What do you mean by civilised?" Bella asked; she yearned for me to keep talking which I complied.

"They claimed that they didn't hunt humans. They were supposedly able to prey on animals instead." I informed her. "Their proof? Well, apparently their eyes were golden instead of red."

Trying to keep her tone casual (and failing to my hilarity); Bella was curious again. "So how does it fit in with the Cullens? Are they similar to the ones your great grandfather met?"

"No." I stated with a dramatic pause. 'They are the same ones."

The silence was intense. The faraway speculative look in Bella's eyes was cool; I never had seen myself as a particularly good story teller. It would be a shame that I couldn't tell my father about my newest talent. He would kill me for even _daring _to. I was in a daring mood today.

"There are more of them now; a new male and a new female, but the rest are the same. In my great grandfather's time, they already knew of the leader, Carlisle. He's been here and gone long before your people had even arrived." I hoped my voice was sounding mystic or spooky; I had captivated Bella's interest.

"And, what are they?" she whispered. "What are the cold ones?"

I smiled wickedly. "Blood drinkers. Your people call them vampires."

I had just violated the ancient treaty; a treaty that I considered moot and a lie. I watched Bella as she stared distantly out my window before cracking a bright but sudden smile.

"You're a really good story teller." Bella complimented me and I felt my heart glow.

"Thanks." I responded simply. "It's not as though I actually believe in any of these stories anyway; they're just some random thing to entertain little kids."

Bella laughed but something told me that she didn't quite agree......

**Edward**

_Harder Emmett! Yep, that's the way! Awesome! Yep, this is precisely how I like it!_

_Forget about Jasper; I'll get a rematch later. Damn it! Rose is always looking so hot!_

I groaned. Emmett and Rosalie's flamboyant sex life was always irritating to listen to. Briefly, I recalled the moment when things had become too seriously; Carlisle and Esme had all but kicked them out of the house.

But, their relationship always put another in my mind. Bella's and that Quileute boy, Jacob Black's. If Bella was happy, then I was content to let her remain with the pup. I hoped that some genetic mishap wouldn't occur and Jacob phased. The thought of Bella being near him when that happened; I shuddered. Horrifying.

I still watched her sleep. I made sure that every night she was safe and not in danger by the demons of the world; it gave me something to work on; something to do. Watching Bella was my latest obsession.

Hopefully, one day I would get the chance. I wanted to hold her in my arms and not feel the inclinement to kill.

My musings were disrupted by Jasper and Alice, returning from their hunt. _She knows, she knows, she knows. _Whatever Alice was thinking made no sense to me whatsoever; she was concealing a very big piece of information. _What's wrong with Alice? We were just hunting and then..... _Jasper's thoughts gave no hints either; he was just as clueless as I was.

"Everybody should come down!" Jasper declared suddenly. "Alice wants to say something important!"

I was in the foyer in a split second. The rest of my family appeared too; Emmett and Rosalie were wearing gowns, looking impatient.

"Bella knows." Alice said flatly. "She knows that we are vampires."

**Lol. My first Author's Note in the middle of the chapter here! Please review!**

**Special thanks to JustAmber. who pointed out a typo that I had made. The Cullens do _not _prey on humans. ;)**


	19. The Truth

**Please review! Disclaimer- Everything is the property of Ms Stephenie Meyer.**

**Chapter Nineteen: The Truth**

**Emmett**

My first reaction. What? I know that was the type of stupid response that usually earned me a hard slap by my wife, Rosalie but today circumstances were different. Today, I received no sighs of exasperation or eye rolls. Because everybody was as startled as I was.

Alice was quick to repeat what she had just said. She was speaking slower this time as though she was attempting to drill the information straight into our heads.

"Bella knows that we are vampires." Alice said. "She managed to convince Jacob Black to tell her a story. And, that story was about us."

I wanted to crack a joke right there but Rose reacted first.

"See!" Rosalie yelled and I had to move forwards in case she tried to rip Edward apart. "I _told _you that this would happen! And now? We'll need to move because she knows our secret, you absolute jerk!"

"Rose" Esme reprimanded; however, my wife was beyond fury. "I was _right! _Edward, I was right! And you were such a jerk that you never thought to acknowledge it! And now we'll be forced to move!"

"Rosalie!" Everybody was momentarily startled by Alice's voice. "Two reasons why we don't need to move! One; Bella won't be telling anybody. Two; Edward's in love with her!"

Okay, we were all completely aware that Bella Swan was Edward's singer and that he went off to spy on her in the dead of night but, seriously? He was in _love _with her? Wow. Rosalie growled but I actually smiled. And while the rest of my family stared at me as though I had lost my mind, I rolled across the floor laughing my head off.

My family were silent as though merely waiting for me to get over my 'weird moment'. When I finally quietened down, I still had a huge grin on my face.

"This is excellent!" I exclaimed to general surprise.

"What?" My darling adorable when cross wife scowled; meanwhile, Edward (who had obviously read my mind) was looking doubtful.

"I'm finally going to have the chance to make my little sister blush!" I yelled.

And threw my arms into the air.

**Esme**

I've just gone from shock to confusment, to shock, to concern to shock again. I must be giving Jasper such a hard time with my up and down emotions. Believe me, that wasn't my intention. I turned my gaze and attention back to Emmett; I was looking for a sign that he was merely joking.

But, no. He looked dead serious and after twelve point five seconds dropped his arms to his side.

"What?" Emmett pouted.

"Little sister blush?" Rosalie scowled. "What Emmett? Are you officially bonkers?"

Usually, I would have reprimanded my daughter for the slightly bad language. However, today I was still stunned by Emmett's original declaration. He had referred to Bella as a little sister. Sure, Emmett would have seen her at school and Alice spoke about her frequently, but where had words of family affection come from?

I glanced at my daughter Alice who had just returned from a trip to the future. She was beaming.

"Perfect Em!" Alice sang. 'You and Bella are also going to be great friends!"

Emmett cheered and I didn't know what to say. I was extremely family motivated and was always delighted with the prospect of another son or daughter. My husband had met the girl before; from his descriptions, she was intelligent and perceptive.

I wondered if may be he was the correct match for Edward. I had seen him alone for so long; time after time, I wondered when he would find his soul mate, his other half. Just like I knew that Rosalie would eventually find a man that she felt really comfortable with; I knew that someone would dance by and grab Edward's heart.

There had always been a hope for Edward. The only question remained to be; was Bella the right one?

**Bella**

Alice and her family were vampires. I was completely certain of it. All the facts lined up correctly. After hearing the story from Jacob, I had returned home and done a little bit of research on the computer. Charlie's internet connection was slow but I bore with it; I needed information. My learnings of vampire speed, strength and eye colour could be related back to the Cullens.

Now, I knew.

The secrets that a family owned were no longer unknown to be. Now, I had the true explanation as to why a 'seventeen year old' boy had been able to shove at a moving van. Now, I knew how an 'eighteen year old' girl had been able to copy and entire passage before the original had been written.

The truth? They were vampires.

Plain, simple and easy; why the hell had they not told me earlier?

Really Alice. Why had you kept me in the dark? Why had you left me to tally out everything and then pull it all together? If I wasn't meant to know, why become friends in the first place? You could have left me to become besties with either Jess or Angela, but instead you came to me, at my house and we became friends. It was your choice, really. If I wasn't ever supposed to know, why would we become companions?

There was school today. And, the weather was cloudy. I would at the very least see her in Government, even if she did manage to avoid me for the entire day.

I would find out everything. I would find out the truth that had been carefully concealed for so long.

And, I was stubborn when it came to things I desperately wanted.

I drove the truck to school. I looked around the carpark and saw the silver Volvo; it was empty. I nodded quietly to myself before heading into the main building. Before I could head further in, a hand tapped me from behind. I spun to see Alice.

"Hi Bella" she said pleasantly. "Something you wanted to ask me?"

**Sorry for making this a really short chapter. I kind of got stuck and will sort things out in the next chapter. Please, review?**


	20. Taking Deep Breaths

**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! In this chapter, Alice tells her story and Bella gets a surprise invite! Hope you like this chapter!**

**Disclaimer- I obviously do not own Twilight. The awesome Stephenie Meyer does.**

**Chapter Twenty: Taking Deep Breaths**

**Alice**

Why avoid reality? If there was a future or a fate worth living, why postpone the inevitable?

I wanted Bella to know. I to feel free and unrestrained about her. I wanted to consolidate a friendship where a huge dark secret could not tear it apart. And now, she did know. The Volturi (stinking vampire royalty whose asses were bigger than their heads) could not be at my throat either; I was not the one who exposed us. Heads up to the pup.

My foresight had enabled me to know that Bella planned on confronting me about the whole vampire issue. We would have Government together, if nothing else. I smiled; Bella would not need to wait too long.

I was hanging around the main office where I knew Bella would walk through. I closed my eyes momentarily. Bella would walk by in five seconds.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

Bingo! I danced lithely behind her and tapped her shoulder quickly. I wanted to giggle as she spun around and struggled to reclaim balance. Honestly, the sight was mildly funny.

"Hi Bella." I trilled. "Something you wanted to ask me?"

I watched as her jaw dropped and I was given the un lady-like impression of a mouth wide open. I sighed. I sure as hell didn't see that one coming. I needed to move this conversation to a more appropriate venue. Some seniors were starting to cast weird looks in our direction. Mentally, I swore.

"Bella?" I said a little tentatively.

"Yes Alice?" Bella responded stiffly.

I sighed and took in a deep breath. This was the time of day when I would have liked it if Bella was less difficult. I was in no mood to use the puppy dog eyes; Bella would get the wrong impression of me too early. However, if she didn't co-operate soon; I would be out of options.

"Bella, I already know what you want to ask me" I said quickly. "But, we can't talk about that just here. You have Biology first right?" Bella nodded and I hurried on. "Well, we can always ditch class to talk about this. Come on."

Edward wouldn't be too happy about my plans but there was little if not nothing he could do. Bella nodded once more and we both strolled off in the direction of her truck. I cringed a little at the thought of sitting in that machine; in my opinion (and Rosalie agreed with me), Bella's truck barely counted as a vehicle. Monster more like it.

We sat inside. I rolled the passenger window down a notch. I had hunted recently but was not in the mood to test my control. Not today. Not here.

I waited. From my visions, I knew that if I spoke first Bella would get really angry. So, I waited. Bella and I sat in silence for one hundred and ninety four seconds before she started to talk. I was relieved. Patience was never one of my strong attributes.

"Alice" Bella began hesitantly as she looked in my direction with piercing eyes. "I know what you are."

Yeah, well I kind of knew too.

"And that it is?" I asked, prompting her to keep talking.

"Vampire." Bella whispered; I heard her heart jolt like electricity as her mouth formed over the word.

"Is it true?" Bella continued in the same tone.

"Yes." I replied.

And then, I was suddenly hit by a vision.

**Bella**

I told myself to breathe. I told myself to take slow deep breaths and stop my heart from going erratic. All in vain; my body had the habit of never listening to my head.

I exhaled.

I looked over to my left and was instantly startled. Alice's warm golden eyes had become unfocused and were looking very weird indeed. Her pupils were actually looking blurred at the edges. I had the feeling that I should be afraid right now, but I wasn't. Actually, I was concerned.

And then, with a snap like movement, Alice refocused.

"Sorry about that." she explained a little bit _too _hastily. "I just zoned out for a minute there."

I was suspicious but let the matter drop.

Information overload was not a good thing. Finding out that your best friend was actually a vampire was info enough.

"Alice?" I asked tentatively, for I had just come up with a little theory. I couldn't be wrong, could I? There had to be a logical (or completely unlogical from another perspective) explanation as to how Alice knew of my own findings and the double meanings behind her words.

"Yes?" Alice's reply sounded a little bit tentative too; I wondered why, what did she have to be anxious about?

"Alice, can you see the future?" My question came out in one hurried my breath.

Alice's head snapped to look at me so quickly that I nearly missed it. My breathing and heart rate momentarily quickened. Alice took a deep breath before she began to speak.

"How about I tell you my full story?" Alice whispered; she looked just a little dazed as she stared into the distance. "I was born in Biloxi, Mississippi in 1901. I had an older sister named Cynthia. My parents always preferred Cynthia over me; they thought I was odd, that I was different and strange. They were right. In my human life, I often received brisk and unpredictable glimpse of the near future. I saw my family clearest because I spent more time with them and people from school because I was exposed to them most often. I managed to keep my odd abilities from my family until I was nearly fourteen. I went into a vision on the dining room table; that's how the secret came out. My family were primping perfect and wouldn't accept anything out of the ordinary. They threw me into an asylum."

"They what?" I shrieked.

I knew I had heard correctly but the thought was still hard to believe. What sort of parents would do such a thing to a child? What mother would have such little love that they basically tossed a daughter away? What father would be such a heartless predator?

Alice's parents from the sound of things.

"Yes, they put me in asylum." Alice continued. "I don't think I mattered anymore to them. I managed to find my own gravestone. The date of death was the same day that I first got admitted. It's alright though, Bella. I remember little of my human life; the years in the asylum were the shabbiest of them all. When I woke up as a vampire, it was dark. The only things I recalled came from years and years and years ago."

Alice paused as though trying to assess my reaction. I nodded numbly; I wanted to hear the ending and to find out how she ended up where she was.

"The first vision I had was of Carlisle and his 'vegetarian' way of life. Immediately, I set out on a mission to find him. I could already see that they would accept me from the moment I got there. So, the journey began. Soon after, I got another big vision. This time I saw Jasper. Funny isn't it? The first time I saw Jasper's face; it was in my mind. From the very first glance, I knew that he was the one. He was the way my life was heading and I was quick to find him. Aided by my visions, I met him at a diner in Philadelphia."

She chuckled as though recalling a particularly pleasant memory.

"Jasper was not on the animal diet at that time. I'm not even sure why he decided to go into the diner. Perhaps fate played a small part all along by giving him the crazed inspiration. Either way, he entered while I was sitting on one of the stools and I stepped out to talk to him. I think I gave Jasper the largest shock he's ever experienced."

Alice laughed deeply.

"Anyways, I went and said to him 'I've been waiting for a long time' and he just bowed his head like a good Southerner gentlemen and said 'I'm sorry Ma'am.' Together, we went and found Carlisle and the others."

Alice paused and was now smiling into her lap. Then, she lifted her head and looked me in the eye.

"Jasper's my entire life now." Alice said in the same dreamy tone. "Would you like to meet him?"

My jaw dropped into a comical 'O'. I wasn't sure whether this was a joke. Alice wanted me to meet her vampire sweetheart? My head tilted to one side. I was completely uncertain.

"Oh, don't worry Bella." she chuckled. "Nobody's going to hurt you. How about I pick you up tonight and bring you over to my place? Jasper's actually become rather curious about you and Esme already thinks that you are a darling angel."

I didn't know how to respond. I just nodded, stunned.

**Jasper**

I didn't see Alice until lunchtime and the first things I noticed about her were her big, brilliant smile and the sheer happiness radiating out from her. She curled into my side; her lunch tray was abandoned in the middle of the table. Even with the different emotional atmospheres running amok nearby, it was impossible not to absorb Alice's good mood. Because she was my Alice, my angel no matter what.

The girls sitting nearest to our table were all devious as they all plotted ways to get Edward to date them. The conversation was whispered but I and my siblings had _really _sensitive ears. Edward appeared not to be paying any attention to them. He had gotten used to flirters no matter where the family moved. Edward's emotions were glum. Yes, he was madly in love with Bella but she didn't seem to even turn a hair in his direction. Poor guy. Sometimes he was so depressed that I found it necessary to leave the room. Emmett was excited. Despite being a vampire who could run twenty times faster than the average human; Emmett enjoyed Gym. Sport was his thing even if he had to tone the talents down. Emmett also loved laughing at the incompetence of the humans. From Rosalie, I got the vibes of disinterest and boredom. I was prepared to bet that she was thinking about what she would do when we returned home. Rosalie was really predictable in that way.

But, I tuned everyone out. All that mattered was the little pixie right next to me.

"Jazz, can I have a word?" Alice mumbled into my chest.

"Of course." I replied immediately.

In almost perfect synchronisation, Alice and I got up and walked out of the cafeteria. Her eyes flickered towards Bella Swan until we were quite far away. The overwhelming happiness was still all over her; however, now Alice was also feeling anticipation.

For what? I had no idea. However, I was certain that I was two seconds from finding out.

"Jazz, I invited Bella to come over to our house later today." she said with bright eyes. "I just wanted to make sure that you were alright with it/"

Alice was worried. But, she didn't need to be. If Alice was happy, I would be the last person to try and stop it. I would do anything for Alice.

Always have.

Always will.

**Isn't Jasper sweet? Anyways, please review! I'd also like some help for fleshing out the Bella/Jacob relationship.**


	21. Home of the Cullens

**Hey guys! Thanks for your awesome reviews! Here is Chapter Twenty One where Bella begins to meet the other Cullens.**

**Chapter Twenty One: Home of the Cullens**

**Alice**

Edward would never know. Until it was far too late.

I was sitting in the passenger seat of Edward's Volvo; Jazz was directly behind me. I was translating the French dictionary into English; that was mental and only for the sake of Edward's ability. In truth, I was just trying my hardest not to make myself look too smug.

I glanced quickly into the rear-view mirror and back without breaking off my busy train of thoughts. My wonderful Jasper had a small smile playing on the edges of his lips but his eyes were hard in concentration. Concentrating hard on keeping the secret in the bag. I was glad that I could block my brother at will without too much effort.

A quick glance to Edward showed me that his eyebrows were scrunched up in confusion, or maybe suspicion; I wouldn't know. Jazzy would but I couldn't exactly ask him.

The drive was silent apart from Emmett and Rosalie making out in the back seat. We arrived home quickly and all four doors were opened at the same time. I sniffed the air (using my visions would have made it far too difficult to keep my brother completely away from my head); Esme was home. Awesome. Brilliant. Only Carlisle was absent but if Esme was in on my decisions, Carlisle wouldn't complain much either.

Esme greeted us and opened the door for us. We flitted into the hallway. Before my siblings could go their separate ways; I made a call for attention. Edward was still getting first class French to English translations.

"Wait a minute!" I cried out. "I just wanted people to be prepared. I'm bringing Bella over later today."

The reaction was simple and instaneous.

Rosalie yelled out. "What?"

Emmett screamed like a little kid. "Awesome! You should have told me earlier!"

Jasper did nothing but he was obviously uncomfortable with the moods he was experiencing.

Esme positively beamed. "That's fantastic, Alice. Oh, I guess this means that I'll need to make something for her to eat. Hmm... I might still be able to cook up a decent pasta..."

Edward's yelling was the most predictable of them all. "Alice! Alice, are you absolutely mad! You invited Bella, a human girl over to a house of seven vampires! I thought you wanted friendship from her, not experiences in second hand murder! And Jasper! Did you really want to test him in such a way?"

I growled lowly; out of the corner of my eye, Jasper was now looking uncertain. I wanted to smile internally. He truly was my sweetheart; he cared for me so much, he sometimes forgot exactly how strong and determined he was. I made my thoughts known to my brother.

"Do not turn this on to Jasper." I snarled flatly. "Jasper's better than you can give him credit for. And there's no point talking me out of this, Edward, you know it. One day, you're going to thank me for bringing Bella here. One day, and I know it."

I tapped my temple in a brisk staccato. I was mimicking the typical Edward style temple tap. It had always annoyed Emmett, but not right now. He enjoyed any fight; even a heated argument would do. Then again, Esme didn't.

"Alright you too. "She reprimanded sternly. "That will be enough. Alice, there is no need to scream so loudly. Edward, this is a very un gentlemanly way to talk about a guest. Nobody here is going to attack her."

I smirked. Grabbing Jasper's arm; we both went upstairs. I had to control myself; having a dancing or singing outbreak was not in my best interests at the moment.

Instead, after choosing out my clothes, I decided to head downstairs and pull up some decorations. I was wearing a light blue blouse and a knee length black skirt. I also had a number of accessories such as bling and a butterfly shaped clip in my hair. Oh and of course my favourite pair of designer flats.

I helped Esme as she struggled with some of her cooking and also to make the house more presentable. There was not a little speck of dust in sight.

At around three thirty eight, Carlisle came home (and yes, I was right about his reaction although his interest in humans may have played a part) and at around five o clock, I departed. I was driving my amazing yellow Porsche. Edward bought it for me roughly a year ago after I won a bet. My brother was surly for a month after that happened. Hey; I did warn him.

I was waiting patiently for Bella to come out. My foresight informed me that she would come out in four minutes.

I waited.

And wondered, was my decision going to play a huge part in deciding her future? Earlier today; I had a vision of Bella with the golden eyes as a vampire. I had no idea who or when she would be changed, but based on..._something_... this would happen.

Precisely on time, Bella came back. She stood on the front porch and stared at my hot, super cool car. Her jaw dropped as I chucked.

Flashy sports cars could really do that to people.

**Bella**

When Alice said that she would pick me up at my house, did she mention that she was going to turn up in this luxurious car? To even call it a car would be a serious understatement; this was the prettiest vehicle that had run on four wheels that I have ever seen. Only a brand new sparkling motorbike could be any better.

Or tied.

Either way I had to get in before I appeared to be a complete idiot. Which I was. Alice honked impatiently and I sighed. She was a vampire. She was used to being able to dash around at the speed of lightning. No wonder she was getting irritated already. Here's a good rule; walk as quickly as possible in order to meet your vampire friend.

"Took you long enough." Alice noted as a buckled in my seatbelt.

"Please tell me this car is a loaner." I mumbled, despite the fact that she could hear perfectly anyway.

Alice merely laughed in her musical trill and shook her head quickly.

Quickly, Alice pulled her Porsche into reverse and then we were flying on our way. It was scary; she was driving so fast yet I rarely saw her have her eyes on the road. I watched as the speedometer crept upwards; my truck couldn't make this speed yet Alice was driving effortlessly. Must be a vampire thing.

In mere minutes, Alice was pulling into a beautiful and well paved driveway. We were among the trees of the green forest; undoubtedly, we were outside Forks. I looked up and my mouth fell open again.

The house looked amazing. It had a large number of modern features such as glass shiny balconies, yet there was a hint of antiquity too. The design appeared to be not overly complex with a wash of beautifully done colours (soft violent and a warm cream) as well. I could see no cracks or poor maintenance yet the house had certainly done a few years.

The house looked nothing like the type of building you would expect to find vampires.

"Like it?" Alice asked; she had already parked in the gigantic garage.

"Yes." I admitted truthfully. "It's beautiful."

"The house itself is around twenty years old." Alice explained. "But, Esme loves home design. She made a lot of renovations and also was the one to fiddle with the paints."

I nodded. We both walked out. I got a quick glimpse at the other cars (mind you, there were a lot of them); I thought I saw the Volvo.

"Jazzy!" Alice yelled as she ran into the arms of a tall male.

I identified him as Jasper. With pale skin and peculiar golden eyes; he too was obviously a vampire. He pried my pixie friend off his shirt.

"You're uncertain." he said to me in a deep but reassuring voice.

I ached to deny it, but I knew (somehow) that he was right. I was uncertain as to what the vampires would think about my being in their house. Unwelcome? Disgusted? Or something to eat? But, I'll say what was worst. What if they didn't even _like _me? Like, what if they _hated _me? What if they all thought that I was just some rude little human who had intruded upon their private lives?

Jasper smiled at me; he was broodingly handsome but it was impossible to feel uncomfortable standing right beside him.

"Don't worry." Jasper said pleasantly. "I understand completely."

**Jasper**

"I understand completely."

Why did I say that again? One. Because it was true. Two. Because there had to be an easy way to tell her that I was an empath. Three. Because, why wouldn't she feel uncertain?

Bella Swan was visiting a different and unfamiliar environment. The home of me and my family was a different place; the area in itself was large. The house was laden in antiques and priceless objects collecting from the decades. The biggest discomfort? Knowing little or nothing about the inhabitants. We were vampires for goodness sake!

I recalled as clear as night the first day I ever began to live with the Cullens. I remembered how I was jumpy, suspicious and frequently looking out for any source of danger. Unfamiliarity provoked uncertainty; I was living proof of that.

"This is Jasper." Alice was saying. "Come on, everybody else is waiting inside."

Alice led the way and the three of us headed through the front door. Esme and Carlisle were both there waiting. My father looked as calm and composed as ever while my mother was smiling radiating.

I watched as my wife danced forwards pulling Bella along gracefully. I stepped inside behind them and closed the door.

"Bella" said Alice. "These are my parents – Carlisle and Esme."

I listened for a moment as the introductions begun before deciding to give them all a little space to get to know each other. Ever since Alice's extraordinary vision (where she saw Bella with my bachelor brother); Esme had been hopeful that such a thing could happen. As I went upstairs to the bedroom that Alice and I shared, I heard another bedroom door open and the heavy footsteps of Emmett spill out. A reluctant Rosalie followed him.

**Edward**

I really wanted a second chance with Bella. My siblings, Emmett and Rosalie were downstairs right now. It appeared they were all finding common ground and developing friendships. I _really _wanted to be friends with Bella. I wanted to hear her voice more often and hear her witty opinions and queer remarks. I listened to the thoughts of my family.

_If only Edward was here._ Esme's wistful thinking was almost enough to make me flash down in a split second. _I wonder if she'll play Wii with me. _Emmett's competitive nature was already breaking through. _Oh look, she really isn't that bad. _Rosalie's sort of compliment was rather shocking. And from Bella? I could hear nothing yet I knew she had an intelligent mind.

I sighed and decided to take my chance. It was time that I believed in second chances. Walking at a speed midway between human and vampire I descended the flight of stairs and went into the lounge where my family were talking. Bella was laughing alongside Rose and Jasper at a joke Emmett had made. I giggled too.

And then, the mood froze before changing dramatically.

I saw Jasper flinch as his mind noticed the hatred.

But, worst of all. Bella Swan's deathliest glare coming straight at me.

Fail.

**Please review! If you liked this story, you may also like 'The Hole In Her Heart'. See my profile for more information.**


	22. Dancing With Dreams

**Hey guys. I know there's been quite a small wait so I've made it up to you all by writing an extended chapter. We're starting off with Mike's POV because he's actually going to play a more significant part in the story later on. This isn't a strong Bella and Edward chapter. Bear with me; they'll be back soon.**

**Disclaimer- All recogniser characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Everybody else in an OC by me.**

**Chapter Twenty Two: Dancing with Dreams**

**Mike**

The dance was this weekend and _still _Bella had not asked me. Come on! I was on more than just friendly speaking terms with her; we were speaking often and communicated via telephone or email every couple of days. Bella has had so many opportunities to ask whether in front of the throng or when we were alone. What was taking her so long? Like, wasn't I the natural choice for her?

Unless.

She had already asked someone. Just like Jessica had already asked me.

I thought for a moment. Had Bella mentioned any other guys that she knew? Was she spending a lot of time with a different somebody? Was one of my own friends enjoying a silent gloat behind my back? Come on Eric wouldn't. And I would pummel to death Tyler if he even tried. Yeesh. After he nearly ran Bella over (and that absolute jerk, Edward had to save her); Tyler easily got onto my nerves. Ben and Austin were nice, cool guys; they wouldn't. So, who did that leave as a threat? Nobody.

All I needed was a speck of time. All Bella needed was the burst of convenience and confidence. And then we would be dancing in harmony. My arms twisted around her lovely figure and freely flicking through her fabulous brown hair. My perfect dream; soon to be a reality.

My quiet musings were interrupted when my cell phone began ringing. The song was 'Forever' by Chris Brown; not my favourite or anything, but it would do. I glanced quickly to see Jessica's name flashing at me.

One second or disappointment, another second of disappointment then one more second of picking up the phone.

"Hey Jess." I said lazily. "What's up?"

"Mike! Bout time I heard from you!" Jessica was squealing on the other side of the line. "You know the dance is this SATURDAY!!! Are you with me or not?"

"Umm…" I mumbled, stalling for time. "I said that I would get back to you."

"When BELLA asks you!" Jess was shrieking extremely loudly; I had to hold the phone slightly away from my ear. "Which she won't! Mike; don't you know that she's got a boyfriend and she's going out with Jacob Black from La Push? The dance is this Saturday! And if you don't hurry up, you'll end up as a loner, turning up all by yourself. Angela is already going with Ben Cheney and Eric has asked Ebginia Crawford. In case you don't know, she's in your biology class."

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I had a very good idea who Ebginia was; how stupid did Jess think me to be?

Hang on a minute.

Did Jessica just say that Bella was dating someone? The kid from La Push? The one that was hulking tall and appeared to be growing at an inhuman rate?

Oh shit.

I think Jessica did. I quickly muttered something that sounded vaguely like an acceptance into my cell before shutting it with a classy click. My mind was blurring, spinning at a faster rate than I would have though possible. I would kill him for even _daring _to claim _my _Bella. And I would use Jessica as a way of connecting and understanding Bella.

My plan? Perfect.

My dream? Desirable.

**Emmett**

What was going on? One minute, everybody was happy and laughing at my joke about the Irish poker player; next second, the room had become deathly still and anti climatic. Tension. Gee, I hated tension. I felt Jasper flinch beside me and knew that he had felt some negative emotion.

I glanced at Bella. The ghosts of her chuckles were gone replaced by a face of disdain. Her eyes slanted towards the centre of her face; cat like, almost. Her lips were stretched out in a thin line.

I followed her train of gaze where it ended at my brother, Edward. His own face had turned into a look of sheer disappointment; an expression that Eddie usually never had. Wordlessly, without breaking his stare from Bella, he backed out of the room and out of sight. I heard him mumbling to himself and breathing heavily as he crept up the stairs.

From the living room, only Bella's heartbeat and the shallow breaths of the vampires could be heard. The environment lacked noise; _I _was the _king _at making noise.

"Wii anybody?" I asked. "I bet that I'll own anybody at tennis."

Rose sent a look of disapproval in my direction but didn't say a word. Quietly, Jasper agreed to play me and we were off on a quick start. Carlisle, Esme, Rose, Alice and Bella all converged to watch. In a matter of about three minutes I had won and was feeling rather smug about it.

"Come on!" Jasper said. "Hey Bella, do you want a go?"

We all listened carefully.

"No thanks Jasper." Bella declined in a small voice. "In fact, I'd like to go home. Thank you all for your kind personality. This really is a beautiful home. Alice?"

We all said farewell and that was it. Alice had a puppy dog sad face and I could tell that Bella's visit had not gone the way she had planned. Like, who had expected a happy environment to suddenly turn extra tense and deadly still? I sighed. Always expect the unexpected in the Cullen family.

"Jazz?" I said brightly. "Are you still playing?"

Jasper shrugged before taking up the controller to play. I won. Again. Everybody was getting bored and moving off to do separate things in their bedrooms; I noticed that Carlisle and Esme were disappointed at not getting a better chance to get to know this new girl. I laughed out loud, causing Rose (who was flicking through fashion magazines) to look up. Bella was definitely the clumsiest human being I had ever met; if my observations were correct, she could fall over even by walking slowly over a flat surface. Believe me, I have perfect vampire vision and the Cullen porch was flat.

I shrugged off an hour of time by playing Wii tennis against the computerised players. I had to restart the machine once; after all, it was not used to Emmett power.

A little while later Carlisle suggested that we all went off on a hunt. Only Edward refused. On this glorious night, I drained two elk and deer. My eyes returned to that lovable shade of bright gold (lovable as in the women in the house could bend your will using puppy dog eyes.)

Rose and I killed off a couple of hours by having some fun in bed (no need to elaborate there).

The next few days were really quite boring; I was looking forward to the school dance, simply because it was something else that I could mess about with. Once in 1978, during prom, I spilled red cordial all over the floor and tried to pass it off as blood.

My plan failed and I ended up with detention with the deputy principal. Oh well. It was funny.

But, I couldn't help but notice that Edward was looking very down and depressed recently. He was very quiet and subtle; Edward didn't talk as much as he usually did either. I wondered why. Then I remembered; I didn't care. My brother always had his spots of weirdness; I wasn't going to let this one spoil my excitement.

School dance here I come!

**Ebginia**

Okay, I was officially perfect. My luscious blonde hair was flowing in a relaxed wave with some gorgeous blue glitter woven through. I had a light layer of eye shadow and a spot of mascara placed to perfection; there was also a soft, warm, delightful covering of bubblegum pink lipstick on where else... my lips.

I danced in front of my full length mirror and breathed in sheer happiness. I was totally and completely desirable. My blue-teal coloured dress flowed excellently down my figure with silver ribbons enveloping my slender waistline. I had the correct balance in showing my cleavage; not too shy but not too cheeky. And this glorifying number matched perfectly with my brand new shoes.

They were a deep green with a gem like feel down at the heel. The heel was around two inches high and it was marvellous. The criss crossing straps looked perfect and matched my figure divinely.

I chose out a few small accessories such as a cute silver neck chain with a heart shaped charm and a few bangles on my left wrist. After selecting the ideal handbag (a $100 Gucci) I was ready and moved to the front of my house. I looked up at the clock. Within the next couple of minutes, Eric should be here.

I did have a small crush on Eric. I would happily give his hair a makeover and a trendy haircut any day but his face was one of the most epic I have ever seen. His dress sense was alright but some of those ties were just son not cool at this school.

Eric arrived in a couple of minutes in a car which wasn't downright flashy but would get enough envious looks in the parking lot. Feeling satisfied, I got in and immediately flicked the radio on. A little bit of light rap and pop would get me into the right move. During the drive, I actually fingered with his hair, curling it over one of my perfectly manicured fingers.

A shadow of a blush crept over his features.

We arrived quickly enough and were holding hands as we walked off through the buildings and too the gym. The gym was the only building large enough to accommodate a large school event. At least the colourful decorations made the place mildly presentable.

"Let's dance." I said seductively; the music was my style.

"Okay." Eric muttered in a slightly uncertain response.

I sighed before dragging him to the 'dance floor'. Eric could behave socially awkward and insecure at times but he was still the most awesome guy ever. We began to dance and I was really getting into the pump. However, after three or four songs I got bored and ducked out to get a drink. Eric began dancing with Katie Marshall instead. I had a stab of jealousy but shooed it away; envy was not about to ruin my night.

"Hey!" I called out recognising one of my friends, Ashley Byron. "What's up?"

"OMG, isn't tonight awesome?" Ashley drawled out in a really dramatic tone. "Max has just stepped out for a smoke. Have you seen those Cullen kids over there? Those lunatics but look at what they're wearing. Makes me want to break down and cry."

I glanced in the direction Ashley was indication and had to try really hard to stop my jaw from falling. Why didn't those dressed look so good on me? I was slender; I was pretty. Why couldn't I fit into those elegant, expensive gowns as well as they all did? What type of diet were they on? I was green with envy.

The pixie, Alice was wearing a purple number. The dress was short and showed a lot of her legs. It was tied behind her neck. As I watched her flit gracefully with her partner, Jasper Hale I felt another stab of jealousy. I really wanted to be able to move like that. So elegant; Alice (insert the best insult possible) Cullen looked more like a swan than a human being.

And, Rosalie Hale? In that flawless, flowing black gown. It was simple and showed off her shoulders but take a look at those curves! I hissed and Ashley chucked dryly beside me.

"I know right?" She was saying with her typical eye roll. "They're not even running up with us, the popular crowd of the school; they _so _shouldn't be dancing hotties."

I huffed in response.

"Anyway Max is back." Ashley chirped hurriedly. "Have fun. Catch you later."

I nodded as she ran towards her boyfriend. I looked back at Rosalie and Alice; I so wanted to like kill them both. Almost as if she had known what I was thinking, Alice turned to glance at me spinning in the arms of her brooding boyfriend. Her eyes were challenging. I put on a snobbish, posh expression and gave her the eye roll. As I turned back to the _cool _crowd, I stole a look over my shoulder to find all four of them laughing.

I huffed. "They're so not cool for me anyway." I muttered under my breath.

One chortle was particularly loud.

Anyways, I had better things to do then deal with those bumbling idiots. I was off to get my friends.

"Hey Mike. Hey Jessica!" I called out to the happy pair; Jess's dress looked good but could have fitted with me _much _better.

"Hi Lauren!" I squealed as a wandered beside her. "That dress looks gorgeous! Where did you get it from?"

"Hello Ebginia." I didn't like the way she said my name; it was almost a subtle sneer. "I didn't see you over there. My little number actually comes from a private designer in Portland. His name is Pierre Dustanto. Anyways, your dress looks marvellous. Yeah, it's a real something. Now if you excuse me, I'm off to find Tyler and Conner."

The way she breezed past me was not the way you were supposed to breeze past Ebginia Crawford. Jeez, Lauren could be quite a brunette bimbo but I thought she was a tiny bit smarter than _that. _Lauren – social suicide. No hard feelings though; her coldness was going to make her suffer, not me.

I found Eric chatting with Bill Twycross; my man was looking more and more uncomfortable. I sighed. Eric would have to take a couple of lessons from me on getting away from people who bugged you.

I reached the table and Eric shot me a glance which had the alarm bells for 'save me'. I dove straight into the challenge and interrupted silly, mousy, nerdy Twycross as he rambled about some engineering nonsense.

"Eric?" I asked seductively. "Wanna go and dance with me?"

"Sure." he replied simply, almost as though he was trying to act cool.

Eric didn't need to act cool; he _was _cool.

As I spiralled away with myself in his arms; I couldn't help but dream about what the future had in store for us. Was there a chance? Hello, of course there was and a big one too. And I would be the first person to always tell you this. "Never hold back to desire."

**A little bit of additional information on Ebginia Crawford. She is an extremely popular and attractive girl who runs with the Stanley/Newton crew as well as many other popular people. She has had many boys who have tried to ask her out but over time developed a crush on Eric. I was originally going to have her crush on Jasper, but that didn't work as well plot wise.**

**Please review!**

**Next chapter- Bella and Jacob's day together.**


	23. Messing Around

**Hey guys! Thanks for the amazing reviews!**

**Chapter Twenty Three: Messing Around**

**Jacob**

I had never been a fan of dances, particularly large ones. But the one at Bella's school today was doing me great. It gave me the _entire _day to mess around and have fun with my beautiful, adorable girlfriend. And, I had plotted the perfect surprise for her.

A week ago, as I returned home from school on the reservation; something on the Newman family garden had caught my attention. Brady Newman (who was only around three years younger than me) was running the Newman garage sale and it was to him that I asked about the unique object that I saw.

Guess what?

I saw two motorbikes. They were old and had clearly been through the mill but my mechanical mind could see the ways to fix it. I envisioned the bikes as a present to my Bella. The Newmans allowed me to take both bikes for free, simply because nobody wanted them.

So, here I was in the garage waiting for Bella's arrival. Billy knew about my project and was actually quite supportive; I had asked him not to say a thing to Charlie, mainly because I knew he would worry and overreact. And now I could proudly say that I was nearly finished. Just a few twiddles and wipes

Half an hour in, I was overjoyed to find out that Bella had arrived. The roaring sound of the truck's engine could be heard from quite a long way away. I had plenty of time to wash my greasy hands and come out to the front of my house. There was Bella, gorgeous and as fantastic as ever.

"Hey Bells!" I called out, unleashing all my happy emotions with those two words.

"Hi Jake!" Bella yelled as we ran into each other's arms.

I gave her the biggest, warmest, most heartfelt hug I could handle. So, it was no surprise that soon Bella was gasping for breath. I smiled, shaking my head as I let her go. Beautiful Bella was a waterfall of giggles.

"Nice one Jake." she said in between laughs. 'You've grown!"

Yeah, yeah Billy had mentioned that a little too often and it irritated me the way he was trying to drop random clues here and there. _"Prepare for change Jacob. And when it comes do not freak out." _Like, what was that supposed to me? My change had already come with Bella as my girlfriend and I was not once freaking out. _"I'm sorry Jake; you'll understand soon enough."_ Oh, what do I have to understand again? _"It's all in the bloodlines." _Yes dad, very subtle. If you're referring to the crap about wolf transformation and vampires let me tell you this; I STILL don't believe you!

"Come to the garage with me Bella?" I asked apprehensively. "I have something to show you."

I felt very gleeful when Bella's expression lightened up as she waved a temporary goodbye to Billy. I took her hand, liking the warmth and led her to the garage.

"What is it that you wanted to show me?" Bella whispered.

I only grinned back and then amused myself with her pouting. Bella truly did not like surprises. Oh well, if she at least liked my efforts at repairing motorcycles; the effort would have payed off. And I would be absolutely thrilled.

My breathing and heart rate hiked up as I watched her take in the bikes. I was not an expert in reading emotions or thoughts by any means; however, I knew Bella well enough to identify the true amazement in her eyes.

"Really?" she gasped, catching on. "You did this?"

"Yep." I said proudly, popping the 'p' (a signature move of mine.) "I'll just need a couple of hours and then we can take these babies out for a ride. I know a really good place not too far from here."

Bella nodded and I continued my work. As I pulled with wrenches and gears, we talked idly about school, friends and our dads. At one point, Quil came over and joined the conversation. I couldn't help but feel a small amount of jealousy at how close they were getting. Good thing _I _was the boyfriend here.

But, Quil left too before long.

Bella and I ate lunch with Billy. Well, Billy was watching a baseball game on TV while Bella and I helped our self to lunch. And then came my moment of pride, I finished the bike. One was an exuberant jazz black while the second was red and flashy.

"Well Bella?" I asked. "Which one would you like?"

I let Bella ponder for a moment before she went for the black one. Strange but sleek. I raised an eyebrow and Bella merely commented on her dislike of blood. Fair enough to me.

I loaded both motorbikes into the back of Bella's truck, noticing that I felt brilliant, really strong. I gave Bella the directions to this lovely strip of road that was unlikely to be used. Although she drove way too slowly for my liking (not that the truck could handle a high speed anyway) but this allowed plenty of time for me to look. We'd been dating for a little while but I couldn't forget about her adorable locks of hair or the wise expression in her eyes.

I looked through the window as the truck rolled to a halt. We were here.

**Bella**

As I parked, my mind was only spinning one thought. Why hadn't Jake shown me this place earlier? Sure, it was just a strip of road but the view was fantastic and the greenery was a pretty touch.

"Wow." I muttered under my breath.

"You like it?" Jacob asked, love coloured every word he spoke and I nodded. "Come on; let's go out and grab it."

I happily hopped out of the truck and breathed in the saline ocean scent. I shuddered a little as the cool wind hit me; Jake came over and gave me a one armed squeeze. I liked the feeling of being hugged by Jacob as he was cuddly and warm. Even if he was frighteningly tall.

I watched as Jake took both bikes out of the back of my truck; I was shocked that he could handle all the weight alone, without any apparent difficulty.

"Here Bellsy" he called and I giggled at the unique nickname. "Copy me and sit on the seat."

Still chuckling, I sat down on my bike, trying to mimic Jacob as best as possible. Of course in those brief moments of struggling I forgot about my clumsiness and poor balance. Enough said; I toppled sideways and two seconds later felt myself falling into Jake's arms. I blushed red despite liking the familiar feeling of his embrace.

"Just give me a sec." I told him as I tried again; Jake still hovered around, concerned but I assured him that I was alright.

It took me half an hour just to get the basics right; for example, I had to not fall down while kicking up the engine and work out where the brakes were (urgh, there just happened to be too; one at the front and one more at the back; Jake warned me not to touch that one.)

I was actually jazzed up about riding this thing. Only as an afterthought did I remember Charlie and I shuddered. I vaguely recalled my vow never to get on a motorbike because it was reckless and dangerous. I guess that was all out the window now. Something about Jake just egged me to be childish, silly and fly free.

"Alright Bella!" Jacob's enthusiasm was epic. "Let's get down to business! I want you to get the gas going on the count of three. One! Two! Three!"

And I stomped hard feeling a churn of adrenaline, loving the wind as I veered forwards. I heard Jacob behind me and that just added to the thrill. All morning, I had been preparing myself for this moment. Now, HERE IT WAS! The shrill of the ocean was drowned out by the cacophony of the beating wind which was minute compared to the engine's vibrations which were thundering in my ear.

I wanted to yell out in joy and greet the weather with my own cries. But, I kept it in. This was a moment too easy to get carried away with. If I wasn't careful enough, I would end up floundering in the ocean. For a moment, I cringed at the prospect of sharks.

A panicky shout from behind me brought me back to the reality and I noticed too late the sharp turn that was coming up ahead. I wouldn't have enough time to cut the angle. I did what I would do on a whim in my truck; I slammed my foot into the break.

I felt myself flying forwards. The only thing I could see were the terrifying trees in front of me and the only thing I could hear was the sheer horror of behind.

And then, my head exploded with the chaos of pain.

**Oooh! Cliffy!**

**Anyone who is wondering why Alice never saw the accident was because it happened so quickly and that she was distracted with Jasper and the school dance. Note: Edward wasn't at the dance.**


	24. Changes

**Sorry for taking so long to update! I just kind of had a huge mental blank where I was unsure of the best way to direct this story where I wanted it to go. Sorry! Thanks guys who have stuck by me with patience!**

**Chapter Twenty Four: Changes**

**Bella**

It was just a cut. Really. And I was fine. Definitely. Yet, Jacob had insisted on driving me to the hospital all the same. He didn't even give me a chance to clean up. I was thinking. Where had my Jake gone? Where was the similing, youthful boy? Rather than this hard mask of unnecessary concern.

I was fuming and hadn't said a word until we got to the hospital. The gash had stopped bleeding but I still looked like a bloody disaster. No pun intended.

I flung the door open as roughly as possible and slammed it behind me. Hard. I hoped that I had left a dent somewhere. Then, I began to storm towards the entrance; a place that I was already becoming way too familiar with.

"Bella!" Jacob called out and ran after me; for such a tall, hunking, unco-ordinated seeming figure, he moved rather fast. "Bella! Wait!"

I paid him almost no attention. I made a pointy gesture to sniff and throw my head back. But, I knew that I couldn't turn and stare into his eyes. I only knew that if I did, I would never be able to resist.

I was roughly ten feet from the entrance when another voice called my name.

Instead of Jacob's husky tone, I could hear a musical layer of velvet. Curoius yet incredibly suspicious, I turned around. My eyes were flickering from car to car until I spotted a silver Volvo.

_The _silver Volvo. The one that belonged to a spaz named Edward Cullen. I scowled when he began to walk towards me with concern (although i wondered why) flashing in his golden eyes. Edward's hands were raised at shoulder height, a gesture of surrender. Stupid, annoying vampire. Couldn't he ever give me a break?

"Bella what happened?" Edward asked at the same time I yelled "What are _you _doing here?"

We stood, glaring at one another. I noticed that once again his eyes were pitch black. However, before another word could be spoken, Jake had caught up, panting mildly.

"Bella, who's this?" Jacob was asking me; honestly, I had no clue as to what a satisfactory response would be.

"Um......a boy from school?" I said, my sentence sounding more like a question. I could tell that Jacob wasn't convinced so I continued talking. "Anyways! No time to talk! I'm outta here!"

My final words were a firey snap as I marched up to the hospital door.

**Edward**

"Anyways! No time to talk! I'm outta here!" Bella snapped harshly before she turned her back on me and began to walk away.

I stared after her retreating figure as Jacob hastened to catch up to her once again. She disappeared from view. Without waving goodbye.

Whoever said that you could not break a vampire's heart was terribly mistaken. I felt as though my existence was broken into a million jagged pieces. I wanted Bella to like me. I could barely stop myself from thinking about her all the time. I knew that currently she hated me, despised me with a vengeance yet I hoped that one day we could be friends. I found Bella beautiful, smart and funny; she was like the blazing comet which would streak through the sky at night.

My midnight sun. My angel.

I droveback home disheartened and moderately depressed. How could it be that after 100 years I still managed to say the wrong things? Perhaps, my brothers were right and I simply had not enough experience with women.

Nobody was around. I knew that my siblings would be at the dance. Rose and Alice had been squealing about their dresses all week. Carlisle and Esme arrived back at around seven and my siblings returned around two hours later.

_Great, Alice is hyper and Edward is moody. _Rosalie's thoughts were the first I heard. Alice was definitely excited; she was dancing around while blocking me out with Michael Jackson classics.

"What is it Alice?" I snapped, not in the mood to be toyed with.

"Nothing!" My sister sang, definitely trying to annoy me; her mental voice had not wavered. _Heal the world. Make it a better place. For you and for me and the entire human race._

"Alice." I grumbled.

"Fine" Alice pouted. "Bella's decided that she wants to hang out with me later on this week. I'm going to suggest shopping and she's going to say yes. YAY!"

_Yay! Yay! Yay! _Alice's thoughts were almost childish. I pulled away from her and my family, moving towards the piano, knowing that nobody would even dare to disturb me. Not if they wanted to live anyway. It was my sanctuary.

I began to play the piece that I had composed all those days ago. I had already named it Bella's Lullaby.

Bella's Lullaby.

**Jacob**

Bella was mad at me. Or furious for lack of a better word. The doctor had said that everything was fine. So, guess who copped the cyclone for insisting that she went to the hospital in the first place? Me. So, guess who was upset with himself for getting his girlfriend pissed? Me. Of course.

I didn't even know whether or not to call her. Something horrible felt like it was churning at my insides. I was easily angered, irritable and scowling all the time. Without Bella, I felt incomplete. And what truly sucked was that when I _was _hanging out with her, I had these crazy mood swings.

Let me tell you something; it sucks to be Jacob Black.

Three days passed. Still no word from her. To make matters worse, Embry and Sam had abandoned me to create their own little cult. Paul and Jared whom I knew from school were also part of this exclusive group. So, it was me and Quil wondering what the hell was going on.

It didn't help that Sam was giving me this creepy look, as though I was going to be next. I didn't like it one bit. I didn't want to join his stupid cult. Sam Uley was a traitor who betrayed his friends.

I couldn't blame Embry. He was terrified of Paul; with that temper, who wouldn't be afraid?

Billy. Helpful as ever the old man was. He just gave me an altered edition of the creepy stare and when it comes from your father, that's double creepy.

I only wanted to know what was happening. What were these peculiar odd bits that were turning my life upside down? What was wrong with me? Was I insane or going mad? Because even I was getting a strange sensation that something in me was changing. And fast.

**Please review! And give me any ideas you want included in the future!**


	25. Mike's Plan

**Mike turns evil! Evil Mike!**

**Chapter Twenty Five: Mike's Plan**

**Mike**

I was feeling pretty good about myself. Everything had been set out; all I needed to do was put my grand scheme into action. And soon enough Bella Swan would be my girlfriend. Ha! Take that Eric! Sucked in Tyler! I beat both of you silly boys to the punch! Ha!

I had already broken up with Jessica, telling her that our relationship was just a small fling. Although it had been pretty cool to date a hot socialite, no doubt Bella would be a better catch.

Oh yes...........

Stage 1: Get Bella to come to the movies with me. I decided to give that a go before school.

I felt rather confident as I approached her, striding across the parking lot. I glanced around to make sure that La Push kid was nowhere around. Good. I wouldn't want him to interfere. Come on! These were still the early stages!

I hoped that my smirk was gone. It would probably give the wrong impression and Bella seemed to be _really _smart. I doubted she failed any of the tests in Calculus or Biology.

"Hey Bella!" I called out, satisfied when she smiled.

"Hey Mike!" Bella responded chirpily. "What's up?"

She sounded excited. This was good. _So _very good.

"Nothing much." I shrugged, acting casual even though I was tensing up about the big moment about to come. "I was just wondering if you would like to watch a movie with me today after school. Hm....how about 'Love Spelt Backwards Is Love'? Lol, dodgy title. It's a romantic comedy."

"Mike I can't." She said hastily; I was instantly disappointed. "I was going to spend some time with the Cullens."

Them again?

"But Bella!" I protested. "Didn't you go for a shopping trip with that Alice yesterday?"

"Yes." Bella said unhelpfully. "But I want to spend some time with the rest of the family too. I feel like I haven't seen Esme in a little while."

Oh sure. You had better not be trying to avoid me Bella! Seriously, how does she keep finding excuses to get out of being with me? It was seriously annoying; it couldn't be a coincidence time and time after again. Somebody like Mike Newton would never get that type of bad fortune! Never!

The bell rang, effectively ending our conversation. Stupid bell. Tonight, I would start Stage 2: Get rid of the Jacob factor. It should be fun.

Heaps fun.

**Emmett **

"I won!" I yelled out dancing almost madly as I stepped out of my epic Jeep.

We had been racing to see who could get back the fastest in a super cool street race going all the way past Seattle. Using a series of highways and back streets, Rosalie, Jasper (on his motorbike), Alice (with Bella) and I sped off, so quickly that most humans wouldn't even catch a blur of metal. I was happy to say that I had won, Jasper finished next, followed by a disgruntled Rose, who was scowling as she stepped out of her convertible.

"I got stopped by a policeman in Seattle." Rosalie hissed. "It's really time consuming to get a ticket when the guy keeps trying to ask you on a date."

I growled. Some random hormonal guy tried to ask my Rose on a date? If only I just knew his name.....That dude would be dead! Meanwhile, Jasper was laughing his head off. I flexed my knuckles.

"Sorry Em" Jasper said with the decency to look sheepish. "It's just that I found it hilarious that Rose _actually _managed to get a ticket. How often does that happen to a Cullen? I don't think Carlisle or Esme will be very impressed, Rosalie."

Well, when you put it like that.........I guess it actually was rather funny.

"Haha. Hilarious." My Rose said sarcastically. "By the way, shouldn't you be laughing at Alice? Where is she anyway?"

Hm.......good point, where was the psychic pixie? I could see that this train of thinking had Jasper worried. I simply shrugged. Fifteen minutes passed and then twenty. Where the hell was Alice? Jasper was getting tenser and tenser every passing second. Man, that guy wasn't even trying to keep his agitation under control. I don't need depressing thoughts dude! I didn't say anything though as there was a good chance that Jazz would have murdered me on the spot.

Scary Southern vampire.

It was half an hour later that Alice and Bella pulled into the driveway. The atmosphere relaxed dramatically. Guess Jasper finally got a grip on that.

"Alice!" he exclaimed, dashing over to open her door.

"What took you so long?" I asked. "Did Rose tamper with the Porsche?"

Rose smacked me on the head. Nothing unexpected.

"No." Alice pouted sulkily. "It's just that Bella kept telling me to drive slower. Said she was going to throw up. And, I couldn't possibly let _that _happen to my sweet baby now could I?"

I had to laugh and of course Shorty glared. Typical.

"That's what you get for riding with the human." Rosalie muttered under her breath, but of course I could still hear.

Odd, well I thought that clumsy daddy's little girl, Bella actually put a nice spin on things in the Cullen house. Always the tension breaker. I found it HILARIOUS when she tripped over her own feet or practically fell into her chair.

But, Rose was still envious. As expected. She envied Bella for her humanity, the one thing that Rosalie would give up everything she owned to have. I was sure that the jealousy would fade off sooner or later. Come on! As I mentioned earlier, Bella was absolutely HILARIOUS! Hilarious!

"Truth or dare!" I yelled out suddenly, making everyone jump. "Jasper!"

"Dare." He said, grinning.

Life was cool.

**Jacob**

La Push was truly a beautiful sight in the evening. As the pulses of bright sunset orange retreated into the navy depths of water, birds of all colours and sizes flew overhead, singing their songs.

A moment of calamity. Of peace. It may sound strange for a garage guy but I was actually really in touch with nature. I was surrounded by beauties, the lush green of forest canopies. The odd visit by the sun every now and then was also a nice thing to see.

Okay, truth be told, the scene in front of me was not the only reason why I was content. Bella had rang me up around half an hour ago spilling out apologies and arranging for us to see a movie on the weekend. Naturally, I accepted. Why wouldn't I? I would jump at any opportunity to make things alright with my beautiful girlfriend. So, I was in a good mood.

But, like most good moods; it couldn't last.

"Oi! Jacob!" I looked up to see that irritating Newton kid marching towards where I was sitting on the beach.

That guy always got on my nerves – not that I had ever found it necessary to tell him.

"What?" I snapped; I wasn't in the mood for small talk, not when he was killing my evening.

"I just have a message from Bella." Mike sneered coldly. "She absolutely hates you. She thinks that you're just a silly little boy who was fun to fling around with. She was cracking up that you actually believed her. Bella's not very well known for her acting abilities, unfortunately."

I was shaking with anger. How DARE he come onto my beach and throw insult after insult at me? How could the moron speak about my beautiful Bella as though she was some kind of joke? Such lies! Where did his nerve come from? I was beginning to snarl hotly; I felt mildly satisfied that Newton was getting fearful and taking a few steps backwards. Coward. Insane mutt.

"You had better run." I threatened flatly; my anger was nearly at boiling point.

I glared murderously at the boy who ruined my evening. Newton appeared very small as he ran as fast as his short legs could manage. But, then he made a serious error. At the fringe of the beach, Newton turned around and gave me the finger before darting away.

That was _it. _

My breaking point.

I felt myself explode. Literally.

_Jacob, Jacob, Jacob._

Four voices yelled in my head.

**So, what do you guys think about that? Please REVIEW! If 10 person who reads this chapter reviews, I'll write an extended chapter next time. So, REVIEW!**

**Also, feel free to check out my latest Twilight one shots, 'Forgive' (includes Harry Potter) and 'You Said You Loved Me' the day that Victoria will wish never happened.**


	26. Cluedo

**Thanks to everybody who reviewed the last chapter! I suggest people get as much as possible out of this chapter......important AN at the bottom.**

**Chapter Twenty Six: Cluedo**

**Bella**

Nothing. No phone calls. No letters. Only Billy's quickly averted eyes and his feeble explanation of mono. Apparently, I couldn't even come down to the house because it was under quarantine. Fairly dodgy, if you ask me. The fact that Billy was roaming around freely was a dead giveaway. After all, quarantine was based on the idea of isolation for a reason.

I hadn't heard from Jake for around ten days; things were getting fishy and I didn't like it.

I had been spending more time with the Cullens now. Playing chess with Alice (losing miserably, stupid fortune teller), playing video games with Emmett and Jasper (got an occasional win there) and having philosophical discussions with Carlisle. He had a very acute belief about religion alongside morality. I was also teaching Esme how to cook better; some of her creations hadn't been edible! Esme frequently confused ingredients such as sugar with salt or flour with baking powder. Once, I had discovered chilli powder in my pumpkin soup!

Rosalie and I...... we weren't really friends but at least she had stopped glaring every time I entered the room.

Edward on the other hand, was a different story. I frequently saw him staring at me and was aware of him even when my back was turned. Annoying git! Couldn't he take a hint? I didn't want anything to do with Edward. Whenever I wanted some time to be alone, Edward would suddenly appear down the corridor! It was like he really _could _read my mind. And was trying to infuriate me to insanity, using the knowledge he had seized.

But Edward was not the most irritating thing of all....

I wished.

Sometimes, the Cullens would become cryptic, as though they knew something that I didn't. It occurred most frequently when I fretted about Jacob. I would catch snippets of hasty glances and even strangled hissing sounds, presumably from Rosalie. They would speak about 'transformations' yet still reassure me that Jacob would be fine. I would try to ask Carlisle about the symptoms of mono but the doctor would become cryptically vain and veer the conversation to another topic. Alice and Emmett wouldn't help me; they would pull on their innocent faces, an expression I was becoming all too familiar with.

Even sweet motherly Esme was in on the secret. I would catch her steal concerned glances at Carlisle and sometimes at me.

It was very, very frustrating. My suspicions must have increased when I stumbled across a conversation that I was never supposed to hear.

_*Flashback*_

Playing Sumer Smash Brothers Brawl with Emmett and Jasper was incredibly exhausting. I had been controlling Zelda while Emmett went for Mario and Jasper, Snake. After I had been crushed to death, I decided to head over to the kitchen for a drink.

I never got there.

I heard Alice and Assward arguing, arguing about _me. _So, I did what the normal curious human would do. I eavesdropped.

"He's already changed Alice!" Edward stated hotly. "And you can't see him anymore. What if he hurts Bella?"

"Edward!" Alice retorted in a bickering tone. "Don't you see how much it's hurting Bella to be away from Jake? Don't you care?"

"I don't care if she never sees the pup again!"

_*End Flashback*_

Gah! Couldn't somebody just tell me what was going on already? It was rather evident that they were hiding a secret. One that probably involved _me _and by the looks of it, Jake as well.

I felt like I was playing a reality version of Cluedo. There were so many hints being tossed in my face, revolving around, trying to fit together and make sense. So many possibilities, each more impossible than the last. Yet, at the same time, I had no idea. There was no signpost to tell for sure. No indicator to say whether or not I was looking in the right direction.

It was just me vs everyone else. In a board game.

**Jasper**

The worst drawback about being an empath is feeling someone else's pain and being able to do nothing about it. Standing by to watch as a friend's anxiety rose steadily upwards and not being able to help.

That's exactly how I felt.

We had all come to the conclusion that Jacob Black had been transformed into a werewolf; it made sense. The kid was from Quileute heritage with strong bloodlines, the descendant of Ephraim. A few other boys had also made the change recently. There were five now; we had to be careful not to cross the treaty line. This wouldn't make the situation fun for us Cullens. Oh no.

And, Edward was adamant that Bella stayed far away from La Push, now that her boyfriend was an immature, young werewolf. They were impossible to control and gave in too easily to their animalistic instincts. Reminded me of newborn vampires. On other words, _dangerous. _

At first, I was doubtful. Scared of my control, afraid that she would blabber. In so many ways, I was wrong. Bella had grown on us all, Alice particularly. I would frequently feel Carlisle and Esme's familial love and fondness every time she walked into the room. Edward (though in a suppressed manner) radiated unconditional love. Okay, stepping into by brother's shoes would not be nice right now. Life must suck if you thought you'd found your soul mate but she didn't like you back.

I couldn't really empathise; I had Alice and would never look back.

With Ali and Emmett, their happiness dor more video games and human shopping sprees were becoming part of me as well.

When looking back and reflecting, it would be said without doubt that Bella had changed us all. Even Rosalie, the queen of all icy queens.

Yes, Bella had affected the Cullen family positively.

So, back to the original issue. While we were (mostly) decided on not telling Bella, I got the impression that she would fight to discover the truth. I would frequently get vibes of curiosity mingled with suspicion. And Bella was extremely observant, several times more perceptive than the average human.

Alice, bless her was acting all smug. Chances were, one of her visions had showed an interesting outcome; one that would dent or flaw Edward's argument.

Hilarious.

**Quil**

Was I supposed to be the friend that got left behind? Was I supposed to be the little lost minion? Ditched? Forgotten? Ignored? The suspense of not knowing was getting me quickly anxious. Though, honestly what did anyone else expect? They always used to call me the loyal one.

I wanted to know what happened to all my friends. First Sam, then Embry and finally Jake. They were disappearing into a cult – one close knit circle which was for some bizarre reason respected by the Quileute elders. The worst part of it? I thought that they were coming to get me. I was to be the next target.

Just the snide look and awkward gazes to give anything away. But, I didn't want to join their exclusive group.

I just wanted my friends back.

But I was scared.

The other two boys, Jared and Paul were huge and could probably bash my brains out with a single punch. But, I wasn't going to let them get the better of me.

I _refused _to join their cult.

**Hoping you guys enjoyed this chapter and will take the two seconds to review. Unfortunately, this story will be on hiatus until the completion of 'The Hole In Her Heart' one of my other Twilight fics. I'm sorry but I just can't juggle all three fics and this is one of the more time consuming.**

**So until next time........**

**~alicecullen5**


	27. The End

**Hey. Unfortunately, I've decided not to finish this story but would like to thank everybody who has reviewed so far. Thank you so much for your support - without you, I doubt I would have even reached this far. Once again, thank you very much!**

**Ally Soccer Girl, Autumn, Bellaandedwardloveeachother, Blue Eyed Hawk, Brilliantsunshinewarrior12, Carrugan-r, Cloethedragoness, EllieCullen.x, HaPpY bUnNy Is NoT aN eMo, -Saga-Lover, JacobEdwardLover94, JustAmber., Kennedy Wolf Cullen, Kimmydonn, Lexa.245, Lilmissperfect14,, MissEsme, Mrs a Cullens friend, PsychoBarbie, Storyreaderlovespie, Tallz Is De Langste Ster, Tami, VainVamp, Valuablenicola, Volleyballplayer14, ..**

**Right now, _The Hole In Her Heart, _is nearing completion with only a couple of chapters to go. _Changed In A Heartbeat _is well on its way and I can promise a few unexpected twists in the next chapter.**


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